Two twin brothers from New Jersey have been arrested and are facing federal charges for allegedly threatening to torture, hang, and kill the Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin.
The Arrest and Charges
Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores were taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday morning in Absecon, New Jersey.
The arrests followed social media posts allegedly published on the twins’ accounts, which called for McLaughlin to be ‘torture[d]’ and ‘kill[ed].’ Furthermore, the brothers allegedly made threats against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, with posts urging people to ‘Sh00t ICE on sight.’
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Emilio Roman-Flores is charged with multiple offenses, including unlawful possession of an assault weapon, possession of prohibited weapons, conspiracy terroristic threats, criminal coercion, threats, and cyber harassment.
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Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores is charged with conspiracy terroristic threats.
Officials Respond to Threats
The threat against McLaughlin, who is often the public voice for deportation efforts, is reportedly not uncommon. Despite the threats, McLaughlin stated, “won’t deter us or slow us down.”
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons issued a strong warning following the arrests:
“Let this be a warning to anyone who dares threaten or attack our brave law enforcement officers… We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We are NOT afraid of you.”
Lyons claimed that rhetoric in the news and ‘sanctuary’ city policies have led to a claimed “8,000 percent increase in death threats” against DHS agents and officials since a hawkish round-up and deport operation began in January. DHS released images of the twins and a photo showing two firearms and a stockpile of ammunition, though details about the weapons were not specified.
