PLANT CITY, Fla. – A 20-year-old Plant City man is in federal custody after a social media post allegedly showing him brandishing a rifle and threatening to assassinate the President of the United States led to his immediate arrest.
Federal authorities identified the man as Nick Guadalupe Cruz-Lopez. According to a criminal complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida, the investigation began on April 2, 2026, when Cruz-Lopez allegedly uploaded a photograph to his Instagram account.
The image depicted Cruz-Lopez inside a vehicle holding an AR-15 style rifle. The post included a caption that read, “MAGA Otw to kill trump.”
United States Secret Service agents tracked Cruz-Lopez down the same day the post appeared online. He was taken into custody without incident and now faces a formal charge of making a threat to kill the President of the United States.
READ: A Recording, Threat, And Disappearing Act: Florida Man Indicted For Murder Without A Body
United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the arrest, noting that the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts. If the court finds Cruz-Lopez guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
The United States Secret Service remains the primary investigative agency on the case.
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