Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders, jailed over January 6, are freed by President Trump

Published

4 months ago

January 22, 2025

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Former Proud Boys leader Henry ‘Enrique’ Tarrio, who was jailed for 22 years for seditious conspiracy over the January 6 riots, has been released from prison after being pardoned by President Donald Trump.

Tarrio, who warned of a second US civil war, was handed the longest sentence for any Capitol Riots defendant for his role in planning the insurrection that sought to stop Joe Biden’s 2020 victory being certified.

Elmer Stewart Rhodes, leader of the militant Oath Keepers group, has also been freed from prison after his 18-year sentence was commuted.

President Trump has frequently referred to those jailed over January 6 as “hostages” and on his first day back in the White House, he issued a sweeping clemency order, granting pardons to more than 1,500 defendants.

Henry ‘Enrique’ Tarrio

“No quarter. Raise the black flag,” Tarrio had raged online in November 2020, angry at Mr Biden’s election win. He wanted Mr Trump to remain in office, so he and others hatched a plan, one that culminated in the storming of the Capitol.

Now Tarrio has received a full pardon from President Trump and has been released from prison.

“This marks a pivotal moment in our client’s life, and it symbolises a turning point for our nation,” Nayib Hassan said in a statement.

“We are optimistic for the future, as we now turn the page on this chapter, embracing new possibilities and opportunities.”

Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean and Dominic Pezzola

Fellow Proud Boys Biggs, Rehl and Nordean were put on trial alongside Tarrio charged with conspiring to oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power by force (seditious conspiracy) and a number of other charges in relation to January 6.

US attorney Jason McCullough said in the days after the 2020 election the defendants had started “calling for action, calling for war, if their favoured candidate was not elected”.

The prosecution revealed what they said was a secret Proud Boys internal plan entitled “1776 Returns”, an incendiary document that laid out plans to take over buildings on January 6.

Biggs, Rehl and Nordean all played leadership roles in the Proud Boys and received some of the longest prison sentences of those sentenced over the riots: Nordean with 18 years, Biggs with 17 years and Rehl getting 15 years.

Pezzola, who was accused of assaulting former Capitol Police Officer Mark Ode by stealing his riot shield and using it to smash a window at the Capitol, was sentenced to 10 years.

All four have had their sentences commuted.

Elmer Stewart Rhodes

Rhodes, the founder of the militant Oath Keepers group, was convicted of seditious conspiracy.

While he did not enter the US Capitol building, he was convicted for plotting to use force against Congress to prevent the election certification.

Prosecutors at trial showed the jury encrypted messages, recordings and surveillance videos where Rhodes spoke about the prospect of a “bloody” civil war, and warned group members they may have to “rise up in insurrection” to defeat Mr Biden if Mr Trump did not act.

The former army paratrooper, who wears an eye patch after accidentally shooting himself in the face with his own gun, was jailed for 18 years but has now had his sentence commuted.

Like Tarrio, he also has now been freed from prison.

Kelly Meggs

Meggs, an Oath Keepers “chapter leader” from Florida was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes.

His wife Connie was also charged and convicted in a separate trial.

He was jailed for 12 years but had his sentence commuted by Mr Trump. His wife, like most of the January 6 defendants, received a pardon.

Kenneth Harrelson and Jessica Watkins

Oath Keepers associates Harrelson and Watkins went on trial alongside Rhodes and Kelly Meggs on criminal charges of seditious conspiracy.

While the jury acquitted them of that charge, they were convicted of a number of other crimes.

Watkins, a transgender woman who during the trial spoke openly about the struggles she faced with her identity while serving in the military, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison, while Harrelson received four years.

Both had their sentences commuted.

Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, Joseph Hackett and David Moerschel

Minuta, Vallejo, Hackett and Moerschel were a group of Oath Keepers who were put and trial and convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Their sentences – four-and-a-half years for Minuta, three years for Moerschel and Vallejo and 42 months for Hackett – were commuted by President Trump.

Freed January 6 defendant: ‘I’m blessed, it’s surreal’

Sky News US correspondent James Matthews was outside the Washington DC correctional facility on Tuesday, where January 6 defendants were expected to be released.

He asked one such man, who said his name was Willy Sarsfield, for his reaction.

“I’m blessed, it’s surreal. A man is only as good as his word, and if you can’t see from my being released, his word is his word.

“And I can’t be mad at a felon for keeping his word.”

He was also asked about where he was on 6 January, 2021.

“I was at the rally first, and then I heard the Capitol got broken into, and I made my way to the back of the Capitol… the west side.

“And I basically was a witness to a lot of nefarious acts watching young women and children running away with rubber bullet bruises and covered in mace.”

Asked whether pardons were appropriate for those convicted over January 6, he replied: “Well, I believe that it can be taken many different ways.

“I’m truly willing to sit in jail and let it go to the appeals court, because you can’t… charge people with a crime if they haven’t committed the crime yet.

“I know the judges were nefarious in the things that they did, that they sat in the courtroom and said they don’t care if appellate court or appeals court will overturn it, he still judging and juring and choosing to do this.

“Nefarious actions against our Constitution is wrong. When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.”

US

Mexican navy training vessel hits New York’s Brooklyn Bridge – as reports say three injured

Published

10 hours ago

May 18, 2025

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Mexican navy training vessel hits New York's Brooklyn Bridge - as reports say three injured

A Mexican navy ship has hit the Brooklyn Bridge during a promotional tour in New York City.

The New York Fire Department said authorities were responding to injuries but had no details about how many people might have been hurt or whether they were on the vessel or on the bridge.

Sky’s US partner network NBC News reports that at least three people were seriously injured in the incident.

The Mexican navy said in a post on X that the Cuauhtemoc, an academy training vessel, was damaged in the accident, which has prevented it from continuing its voyage.

Eyewitness video of the collision posted online showed the mast of the ship, which was flying a large Mexican flag, scraping the underneath of the bridge.

The vessel then drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.

The Mexican navy said the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.

The Cuauhtemoc is about 297ft long and 40ft wide, according to the Mexican navy. It sailed for the first time in 1982.

Each year, it sets out at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets’ training.

It left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on 6 April with 277 people onboard, the navy said at the time.

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US

One person dead after explosion outside fertility clinic in California

Published

15 hours ago

May 17, 2025

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One person dead after explosion outside fertility clinic in California

One person has died in a bomb explosion near a reproductive health clinic in California, authorities have said.

The incident took place in Palm Springs, a city two hours east of Los Angeles, and is being investigated as a possible car explosion.

The city’s mayor Ron DeHarte said one person died in the blast, adding that the bomb was “either in or near” a vehicle. The deceased’s identity is not known, Palm Springs police said.

Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers clinic, told the Associated Press his facility was damaged but all staff were safe and accounted for.

The explosion damaged the office space where the practice conducts patient consultations, but the IVF lab and stored embryos were unharmed, he added.

“I really have no clue what happened,” he said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”

In a statement posted on Facebook the clinic said it was “heartbroken” to learn someone died in the explosion and added: “Our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected.”

It continued: “Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is.

“In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope – because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care.

The clinic will be fully operational on Monday, it added.

“This moment has shaken us – but it has not stopped us. We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world,” the statement concluded.

The Palm Springs city government said in a post on Facebook that the explosion happened on North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, before 11am local time (6pm GMT).

A burned-out car can be seen in a parking lot behind the building in aerial footage.

The blast caved in the clinic’s roof and blew debris across four lanes of the road.

Another person said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion.

Nima Tabrizi said: “The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s massive cloud smoke.”

Investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are travelling to the scene to help assess what happened.

California governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, his press office said.

US

James Comey: Trump says ex-FBI director’s seashells post ‘meant assassination’

Published

22 hours ago

May 17, 2025

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James Comey: Trump says ex-FBI director's seashells post 'meant assassination'

A former FBI director has been interviewed by the US Secret Service over a social media post that Republicans say was a call for violence against President Donald Trump.

James Comey, who led the FBI from 2013 until he was fired in 2017 by Mr Trump during his first term in office, shared a photo of seashells appearing to form the numbers “86 47”.

He captioned the Instagram post: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”

Some have interpreted the post as a threat, alleging that 86 47 means to violently remove Mr Trump from office, including by assassination.

What does ’86 47′ mean?

The number 86 can be used as a verb in the US. It commonly means “to throw somebody out of a bar for being drunk or disorderly”.

One recent meaning of the term is “to kill”, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which said it had not adopted this meaning of 86 “due to its relative recency and sparseness of use”.

The number has previously been used in a political context by Matt Gaetz, who was President Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general but withdrew from consideration following a series of sexual misconduct allegations.

Mr Gaetz wrote: “We’ve now 86’d…” and listed political opponents he had sparred with who ended up stepping down.

Meanwhile, 47 is supposedly representing Mr Trump, who is the 47th US president.

Mr Comey later removed the post, saying he thought the numbers “were a political message” and that he was not aware that the numeric arrangement could be associated with violence.

“I didn’t realise some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down,” Mr Comey said.

Mr Trump rejected the former FBI director’s explanation, telling Fox News: “He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant… that meant assassination.”

Donald Trump Jr accused Mr Comey of “casually calling for my dad to be murdered”.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed in a post on X that Mr Comey had been interviewed as part of “an ongoing investigation” but gave no indication of whether he might face further action.

The Secret Service is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich said Mr Comey had put out “what can clearly be interpreted as a hit on the sitting president of the United States”.

“This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously,” Mr Budowich wrote on X.

Another White House official James Blair said the post was a “Clarion Call (…) to terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East”.

Mr Trump fired Mr Comey in May 2017 for botching an investigation into 2016 democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the White House said at the time.

While Mr Comey was the director of the FBI, the agency opened an investigation into possible collusion between the Trump 2016 presidential campaign and Russia to help get Mr Trump elected.