Two New Jersey twin brothers were arrested after posting violent threats against a senior Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, and authorities moved quickly to charge them with terroristic threats and related crimes.
Two brothers from Absecon, New Jersey, identified as Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores, were taken into custody Tuesday after investigators traced violent online threats back to them. The posts targeted DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin and included calls for physical harm, prompting an immediate criminal response. Law enforcement treated the remarks as serious, prosecutable threats instead of online bluster.
The suspects are both American citizens. “[The Second] Amendment is in place for moments like this. Shoot ICE on sight,” one of the brothers posted in response to a tweet by McLaughlin. “We Americans should find you, tar you, feather you, and hang you as we did to anyone serving tyrants before the Revolutionary War.” Another tweet read, “Shoot ICE on sight.”
The arrests came just three days after the threatening posts, and authorities emphasized the swift timeline to send a clear signal. ICE Director Todd Lyons said the rapid action should warn anyone who thinks threatening DHS staff is consequence-free. Federal and local investigators worked together to identify and arrest the men quickly, showing coordination that Republicans often praise when public safety is on the line.
Lyons’ statement to the public was blunt and uncompromising: “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,” he said. “If you threaten our law enforcement or DHS officials, we will hunt you down, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” That resolve reflects a basic law-and-order stance: threats against government employees are crimes, not political theater.
Officials announced a slate of charges tied to the case. Emilio faces multiple counts including unlawful possession of an assault weapon, prohibited weapons possession, conspiracy, terroristic threats, criminal coercion, and cyber harassment. Ricardo is charged with a single count of conspiracy to commit terroristic threats, according to charging documents made public by authorities.
The legal exposure for Emilio is substantial, given the weapons and conspiracy allegations stacked alongside the terroristic threats count. Both men will answer to federal and possibly state authorities as the case proceeds, and their arraignments and pretrial hearings are likely to follow standard criminal procedure. Prosecutors have signaled they will pursue the matter forcefully.
That forceful approach matters because the context here included more than just two social media posts. In recent months, partisan rhetoric has turned immigration enforcement into a kitchen-table political fight, and some Democrat voices compared ICE to secret police or Gestapo-style actors. Democrats are fanning the flames and raising the rhetoric by comparing ICE to the Gestapo, fascists, and secret police.
From a Republican perspective, rhetoric that dehumanizes law enforcement or federal employees risks encouraging violence, and this case is a reminder of that danger. Authorities must be allowed to pursue threats aggressively, and communities deserve protection from people who use online platforms to incite real-world harm. Holding violent rhetoric to account is consistent with public safety priorities.
Investigators say the probe remains active as they follow leads and prepare for prosecution, with more details to emerge as filings are made public. The arrests underscore how federal agencies and local partners can act quickly when officials are threatened, and prosecutors appear ready to press the case without political interference. For now, the matter has moved from posts on social media into the criminal justice system where evidence, charges, and court dates will determine next steps.
