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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Saturday that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested a man who allegedly made online posts with death threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
The suspect, who was arrested by special agents in Fort Myers, Fla., was identified as Joseph Giancola, though online he allegedly used the pseudonym “Cain Delon” on the social media platform Bluesky. In the announcement of his arrest, DHS said that death threats against ICE officers are up 8,000% amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Some of the posts allegedly written by Giancola include, “Shoot the ICE Nazis down like the rabid dogs they are,” “Just get a gun and shoot the ICE Nazis down,” “Shoot ICE gestapo dead,” “They come near me, and I shoot to kill. Be warned” and “Get out your guns and shoot them down,” according to DHS.
In addition to the sharp rise in death threats, ICE agents have also seen more than a 1,000% increase in assaults, according to DHS.
DHS WARNS OF ‘UNPRECEDENTED VIOLENCE’ AS DEATH THREATS AGAINST ICE OFFICERS SOAR 8,000%
Joseph Giancola was arrested for allegedly posting death threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. (DHS)
“This cowardly individual made repeated disgusting death threats against ICE law enforcement officers. He is now in federal custody and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “From bounties placed on their heads for their murders, threats to their families, stalking, and doxxing online, our officers are experiencing an unprecedented level of violence and threats against them and their families. Threaten violence or death to our law enforcement? You’ll end up behind bars like this guy.”
DHS said in the statement that it is “committed to safeguarding its personnel and ensuring that individuals who make threats of violence are held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The department blamed politicians’ and the media’s rhetoric for the increased threats against and assaults on its officers. DHS said it warned politicians and the media to “tone down their rhetoric” about ICE and other law enforcement officers.
DHS BLAMES POLITICAL RHETORIC FOR SURGE IN ASSAULTS ON ICE AGENTS AFTER CHARLIE KIRK MURDER
Protesters in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 4, 2023, hold a protest with signs against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). (Ronaldo Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Comparing ICE day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has consequences,” DHS said in a statement. “Like everyone else, America’s ICE and CBP agents are hardworking men and women who have families and are real people. The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must stop.”
On Thursday, DHS sounded the alarm over the increased threats to ICE agents and provided several examples of individuals threatening officers.
Eduardo Aguilar, a Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally in Dallas, Texas, was arrested earlier this month for allegedly soliciting the murder of ICE agents in a TikTok post.
Anti-ICE protesters march in Chicago. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
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The post, written in Spanish, allegedly offered $10,000 for the murder of an ICE agent and called for “10 dudes in Dallas with determination who aren’t afraid to [two skull emojis],” DHS said.
In another incident in Texas, an ICE officer’s spouse was threatened over the phone. The caller, who has not been identified, repeatedly cursed at the ICE officer’s spouse before saying, “Did you hear what happened to the Nazis after World War II? Because it’s what’s going to happen to your family.”