A Chicago gang leader living in the U.S. illegally has been federally indicted for allegedly using Snapchat to solicit the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino. Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, allegedly sent messages offering money for information and to take down the Border Patrol chief, according to prosecutors.
Two Venezuelan nationals were detained after their vehicle struck a Border Patrol vehicle during an immigration enforcement operation in Chicago. The incident escalated when protesters gathered and threw objects at federal agents, prompting the deployment of tear gas that exposed 13 Chicago police officers.
The White House released a list of criminal illegal aliens arrested by ICE in Chicago, highlighting cases involving sexual assault, gang involvement, and other violent crimes. This came in response to Mayor Brandon Johnson's executive order declaring certain city spaces ICE-free zones to restrict federal immigration enforcement operations.
Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons responded to Broadview Mayor Katrina R. Thompson's criticisms by defending the agency's operations at a local processing center. Lyons argued that ICE officers face escalating violence from protesters and called the mayor's accusations fearmongering and misinformation that could incite further violence against federal officers.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted weekend enforcement operations targeting individuals with serious criminal histories. The operations resulted in multiple arrests, including one individual accused of making threats against a U.S. Representative's office.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced weekend arrests of foreign nationals with serious criminal records. The arrested individuals had prior convictions for violent offenses including sexual assault, robbery, manslaughter, and human trafficking.
Two individuals illegally present in the U.S. were arrested in Illinois for allegedly using their vehicles to ram ICE law enforcement officers in separate incidents. DHS officials attributed the attacks to anti-ICE sentiment in the Chicago area, noting a more than 1,000% increase in assaults on ICE law enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security announced that federal agents arrested over 1,000 undocumented immigrants in Illinois during Operation Midway Blitz, a crackdown launched in September. The operation, led by ICE and U.S. Border Patrol, targeted individuals with serious criminal histories including gang members, armed robbers, and those convicted of crimes against children.
The Lake County Coroner's Office refuted earlier claims that Megan Bos, 37, was decapitated, stating she was not beheaded before or after her death. Her body was discovered in a storage container at the home of Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez, a Mexican national who was initially released under Illinois' no-cash bail law but was later arrested by ICE.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez, who succeeded his father Joaquin Guzman Loera (El Chapo) as one of the heads of the Sinaloa Cartel, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Chicago to federal drug charges. Guzman Lopez admitted to coordinating the transportation of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs from Mexico to the United States in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms.
