Arrest of Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio on Conspiracy Charges
Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys group, has been arrested and charged with conspiracy in connection with the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. This development follows the guilty plea of the Alabama Chapter leader of the Oath Keepers, who admitted to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of Congress.
On Tuesday, FBI agents conducted a dawn raid in Florida, leading to the arrest of Tarrio. The charges against him are related to his alleged involvement in planning and directing actions during the Capitol riot, despite his absence from the scene. Tarrio was apprehended by Capitol police two days before the January 6 events on unrelated charges.
The indictment alleges that Tarrio continued to guide and motivate the Proud Boys in the lead-up to and during the January 6 attack. The Department of Justice stated that he “claimed credit for what had happened on social media and in an encrypted chat room during and after the attack.”
An important element of the investigation involves a meeting in a Washington D.C. parking garage between Tarrio and Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers militia. Rhodes is also facing conspiracy charges.
Other Conspiracy Charges
The investigation has expanded to include other conspiracy charges against individuals involved in the events surrounding January 6. An Oath Keeper member, identified as James, confessed in his plea to conspiring with others from November 2020 to January 2021 to use force to stop the presidential power transition post-2020 Election. James detailed the use of encrypted communications, acquisition of weapons, and combat gear as part of the conspiracy plans.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “In the 13 months since Jan. 6, more than 750 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 235 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.”
