A Department of Homeland Security operation backed by local SWAT officers resulted in the arrest of two brothers on Tuesday after they allegedly threatened to execute a senior federal official and open fire on immigration agents.
Authorities took U.S. citizens Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores into custody at their Absecon home. The raid followed a series of violent social media posts where the pair reportedly threatened to hang DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin and called on the public to “shoot ICE on sight.”
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Emilio Roman-Flores faces a litany of charges, including unlawful possession of an assault weapon, possession of prohibited weapons, cyber harassment, and conspiracy to commit terroristic threats. Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores has been charged with conspiracy to commit terroristic threats.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons issued a blistering statement following the arrests, citing a sharp rise in danger for federal agents.
“Let this be a warning to anyone who dares threaten or attack our brave law enforcement officers,” Lyons said. “We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We are not afraid of you.”
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Lyons further blamed “extreme rhetoric” from news media and politicians for what he described as an 8,000% increase in death threats against personnel. “If you threaten our law enforcement or DHS officials, we will hunt you down,” he warned.
Both men are currently detained by the Absecon Police Department.
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