Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem revealed that American intelligence agencies have uncovered a disturbing plot by Mexican drug cartels to place cash bounties on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and senior DHS officials — with assistance from domestic extremist groups including Antifa and the Latin Kings gang.
According to Noem, the cartels are offering $2,000 to individuals who expose the personal identities or home addresses of ICE agents and their families. The bounties reportedly escalate to $5,000–$10,000 for those who kidnap or assault ICE agents, and as much as $50,000 for the murder of high-ranking DHS officials.
“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,” Noem said in a statement.
“Our agents are facing ambushes, drone surveillance, and death threats, all because they dare to enforce the laws passed by Congress. We will not back down from these threats, and every criminal, terrorist, and illegal alien will face American justice.”
Cartels Partnering with Domestic Extremists
According to federal briefings, the Latin Kings have deployed “spotters” armed with firearms, drones, and encrypted radios to monitor ICE patrols and safe houses in real time. These lookouts reportedly use rooftops in neighborhoods across Chicago and nearby suburbs to track federal agents’ movements and relay information directly to cartel operatives.
Noem said that in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, Antifa cells have joined forces with cartel-linked gangs, providing logistical support, pre-staged protest equipment, and digital doxing operations to expose ICE agents’ personal details and obstructing arrests of cartel-connected illegal immigrants.
DOJ Launches Investigation
Former ICE Director and current Border Czar Tom Homan confirmed in an exclusive interview that the Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the financial backers of anti-ICE riots and cartel cooperation.
“The Department of Justice is all over this,” Homan told Breitbart News. “They will find out who is funding this, and they will be held accountable.”
Homan suggested that the coordination may involve foreign money laundering operations or “nonprofit cover networks” that funnel resources to extremist organizers under the guise of activism.
Escalating Violence at the Border
The revelation follows a recent surge in organized attacks against federal agents. DHS officials say the cartels’ tactics have evolved from smuggling operations to direct acts of intimidation and sabotage to destabilize enforcement efforts.
Noem — who has made border security and anti-cartel operations a central priority of her tenure — said the federal government is “actively deploying countermeasures,” including increased surveillance, agent protection protocols, and joint task forces involving the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals Service.
Background
Since President Donald Trump reappointed a new slate of DHS leadership in early 2025, the department has prioritized aggressive enforcement of immigration and anti-cartel laws. ICE arrests have surged dramatically since his return to office, and DHS has dismantled multiple cartel-linked smuggling cells operating in U.S. cities.
However, Noem’s latest revelation marks a serious escalation, highlighting the transnational nature of the threat — where foreign cartels and domestic extremist groups appear to be converging against federal law enforcement.
The department has also requested enhanced cooperation from state and local police agencies in tracking potential cartel affiliates operating within U.S. borders.
READ NEXT: Trump Eyes Cartel Strikes As He Pressures Mexico
