A 29-year-old Illinois man faces federal charges in Minnesota after allegedly targeting an FBI agent with threatening messages following a violent demonstration in Minneapolis last month.
United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced Friday that a federal grand jury has returned a one-count indictment against Jose Alberto Ramirez for the interstate transmission of threats to injure a federal law enforcement officer.
The charges stem from an investigation into a January 14 protest where a large group gathered in Minneapolis. According to court documents, the crowd was acting in response to what they believed was an immigration enforcement action.
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During the event, protesters vandalized and damaged several FBI-owned vehicles, stealing weapons, ammunition, and government equipment. Among the items taken were sensitive documents containing the personal details of federal employees, including phone numbers, home addresses, and driver’s license numbers.
Officials noted that the FBI personnel were actually on-site to investigate an officer-involved shooting and were “not for any immigration enforcement.”
The situation escalated on January 15 when an FBI Special Agent, whose private information had been broadcast on the internet after the theft, began receiving threatening voicemails and texts on a government cell phone. Investigators eventually linked the communications to a phone number belonging to Ramirez.
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Court records state the messages were specific and personal, with the sender asserting they knew where the agent’s parents and children lived. One message reportedly warned the agent to “get home safe and fast.”
The FBI is continuing to investigate the matter. Ramirez’s indictment for interstate threats typically carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in federal prison if convicted.
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