WASHINGTON — Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, was arrested Tuesday in connection to his organization’s role in planning the Jan. 6 attack.
While Tarrio, 38, is not accused of physically taking part in the breach of the Capitol, the indictment alleges that “he led the advance planning and remained in contact with other members of the Proud Boys during their breach,” according to a statement Tuesday from the Justice Department.
Tarrio was arrested in Miami and is to make his initial court appearance in the Southern District of Florida. He was also named in a superseding indictment returned Monday in the District of Columbia that also includes five previously charged defendants.
The indictment alleges that Tarrio continued to direct and encourage the Proud Boys prior to and during the events of Jan. 6, and that he claimed credit for what had happened on social media and in an encrypted chat room during and after the attack.
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Tarrio was indicted on one count of each conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and obstruction of an official proceeding, as well as two counts each of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and destruction of government property.
More than 775 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol, including over 245 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, said the Justice Department.
The DOJ has also brought conspiracy charges against Elmer Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right militia group the Oath Keepers and 10 other individuals.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
