An Ohio man has been arrested and faces
federal
charges for allegedly making terroristic threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and a federal official, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Anthony Kelly of Cincinnati was taken into custody for reportedly threatening to kidnap, assault, and murder a U.S. government official,
DHS Assistant Secretary
for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin announced Saturday.
“Thank you to our law enforcement,” McLaughlin wrote in a post on X. “These threats will not be tolerated. You will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
McLaughlin also shared screenshots of social media posts allegedly linked to Kelly in which he threatened to shoot and kill ICE agents and referenced plans to purchase a firearm. In one post responding to a discussion about ICE, the user wrote, “You come here for me, you’re getting shot… I’m shooting for the kill.”
In another post replying to a comment about DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the user stated, “The shotgun is being bought later on this week… you’re also invited b—-.”
A separate post appeared to endorse violence against ICE agents, reading, “Thanks for giving We The People permission to shoot…”
Federal authorities
searched Kelly’s
home and reportedly found one firearm and ammunition, according to McLaughlin.
The arrest comes amid a sharp rise in threats and violence against ICE personnel. DHS recently revealed an 830% spike in assaults on agents since January, as tensions escalate around immigration enforcement. The agency has also raised alarms over the growing trend of doxxing—posting ICE agents’ personal information and photos online.
Earlier this month,
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
urged the Justice Department to take action against those who target ICE agents through online harassment.
“We will prosecute those who dox ICE agents to the fullest extent of the law,” Noem said in a recent memo. “These criminals are siding with vicious cartels and human traffickers. We won’t allow it in America.”
