DHS Claims Mexican Cartels Offering 'Bounties' To Kill IL ICE Agents

CHICAGO, IL — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday it has obtained evidence of criminal organizations in Mexico offering bounties for the murder of federal immigration officers in Chicago.

The claim comes days after a federal judge temporarily blocked the deployment of the National Guard troops that have already arrived in Illinois.

According to DHS, the criminal organizations and cartels are working in tandem with "domestic extremist groups" and are specifically targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol personnel. The agency said the criminal networks were given explicit instructions to "monitor, harass and assassinate federal agents."

Authorities said cartels have disseminated a structured bounty program offering thousands of dollars for gathering intelligence, doxxing agents and their families, kidnapping and non-lethal assaults on officers and "up to $50,000" for the murder of officials.

The announcement Tuesday also named Antifa groups in both Chicago and Portland as enablers providing logistical support such as pre-staged protest supplies and on-the-ground interference to, "shield cartel-linked individuals from deportation."

“These criminal networks are not just resisting the rule of law, they are waging an organized campaign of terror against the brave men and women who protect our borders and communities,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Officials said surveillance from these groups has enabled ambushes and disruptions during raids under Operation Midway Blitz.

But on Friday, federal Judge April Perry issued a ruling to temporarily block the National Guard deployment for at least two weeks. Perry said there was no substantial evidence that a "danger of rebellion" is brewing in Illinois during President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

"The administration has provided no lawful explanation for its deployment of federal troops, and none exists. It’s clear that this attempted occupation within the state of Illinois is driven by political animus and not because federal officials are unable to protect federal property or enforce federal law," Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “The president does not have the unfettered discretion to turn America’s military against its own citizens when they exercise their constitutional rights."

Related: Court: National Guard Troops Sent To Illinois By Trump Can Stay But Can’t Be Deployed For Now

The on-again, off-again deployments stem from a political and legal battle over President Donald Trump's push to send the Guard to several U.S. cities. His administration claims crime is rampant in those cities, despite statistics not supporting that assertion.

If a president invokes the Insurrection Act, they can dispatch active duty military in states that fail to put down an insurrection or defy federal law. Judge Perry followed up Friday with an opinion that cites a mix of law and history, including the Federalist Papers, which were written in 1787-88 to support ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

The judge said there was significant evidence that federal agents have been able to carry out their work, noting "huge increases in arrests and deportations."

Related:

• Border Patrol Arrests 12 Drivers At O'Hare; Rideshare Group, Johnson Respond
• 18 Arrested Outside Broadview ICE Facility Over Weekend: Police

On Sunday, Gov. JB Pritzker said he was weighing the possibility of state prosecutors examining the conduct of ICE in Illinois.

"The tables will turn one day," Pritzker told FOX 32 Chicago. "These people should recognize that maybe they’re not gonna get prosecuted today, although we’re looking at doing that, but they may get prosecuted after the Trump administration because the statute of limitations would not have run out."

On Tuesday, Pritzker tweeted, "I'm not afraid. Come and get me, Donald. I will stand up for the law and the Constitution. That’s what we do in the State of Illinois."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.