DOJ Arrests Minnesota Man Accused of Urging Violent Attacks on ICE Agents in Shocking Social Media Posts
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that it has arrested a Minneapolis man accused of making violent threats against federal immigration officers in the wake of heightened tensions in Minnesota.
The defendant, 37-year-old Kyle Wagner of Minneapolis, was taken into federal custody and charged with threatening to assault and kill officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the DOJ. He is expected to appear in federal court on the charges.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wagner’s social media posts encouraged followers to “forcibly confront, assault, impede, oppose, and resist federal officers” whom he disparaged with terms like “gestapo” and “murderers,” according to prosecutors.
Court filings allege that in January Wagner repeatedly shared videos and comments on Facebook and Instagram urging violent action against federal officers, even going so far as to call on others to take up arms and publish an ICE agent’s phone number online.
In one video cited by prosecutors, Wagner allegedly said, “Anywhere we have an opportunity to get our hands on them, we need to put our hands on them.” In another recorded clip, he proclaimed, “So, either we’re going to win, or I will die in this process.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi framed the arrest as part of the department’s broader initiative to defend federal law enforcement. “This case shows that if you threaten or target federal officers, the full force of justice will come after you,” she said in a statement.
The arrest comes amid ongoing protests and controversy over federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, where recent operations have sparked demonstrations and clashes between ICE agents and activists.
One such flashpoint involved the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis man by federal agents during an enforcement operation, prompting further criticism and heightened tensions in the community.
Federal prosecutors say Wagner’s alleged actions crossed the line from protected speech into criminal threats and intimidation, and they are moving forward with charges as part of efforts to protect officers from targeted violence.
