As many as 15 FBI officials have faced threats and intimidation after two government vehicles were vandalized and documents were stolen during a protest against federal immigration officials in Minneapolis.
On January 14, amid protests against agents who shot a Venezuelan immigrant during an arrest attempt, a group of individuals ransacked a pair of government vehicles, stealing weapons and FBI documents.
The vandals took FBI IDs, access badges, and documents listing employee phone numbers, email accounts, home addresses, and drivers licenses, the federal government wrote in a court filing last week.
The information was soon posted online, and between 10 and 15 FBI personnel then faced threats, including “multiple harassing and threatening phone calls and emails and suspicious drive-bys of their residences,” the government wrote.
Shortly after the leak, someone allegedly emailed a Minnesota law enforcement official a message claiming, "We'll see how tough you are,” after they carried out a threat to “firebomb” a redacted address.
"I find it incredibly embarrassing that he's FBI, but so much is available about him and his family,” someone allegedly messaged the official’s child on Facebook.
The government accuses an Illinois man, Jose Alberto Ramirez, 28, of making multiple threats to the official.
The Illinois man allegedly texted the official ominous statements, including, “Get home safe and fast,” and “I know where your mom lives bro. And your dad. And your kids buddy."
The official told their superiors the messages were all “extremely upsetting” because the official’s child was out of state for school.
The official told investigators that if the individual was in the same area as their child, they would “strongly consider relocating that family member out of that area to another state.”
Investigators used phone records related to a past workplace harassment complaint against Ramirez to locate and arrest him.
In 2024, he was allegedly terminated from his job at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois, for threatening to shoot another employee.
The 28-year-old’s record in Illinois has several felonies and misdemeanors, including domestic battery, burglary, and mob action, according to court documents.
The Independent has contacted Ramirez’s attorney for comment.
The Illinois man has been ordered to be removed to Minnesota, where he will formally answer the charges.
“We argue strenuously for his release,” defense attorney Joshua Kutnick told the Minnesota StarTribune of the allegations against his client.
Federal officials say personnel at immigration agencies like the Border Patrol and ICE have faced a spike in threats and assaults in the wake of President Trump’s ongoing mass deportation campaign.
The White House has argued such threats justify agents’ controversial, widespread use of face masks during immigration operations.
