A Miami resident pleaded guilty on Aug. 5 to posting online threats directed at Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Department of State Special Envoy Kristi Noem.
According to court records, Jon Christopher Enriquez, 47, used the social media platform X on May 27 to post multiple public threats targeting Secretary Rubio and Special Envoy Noem. The threats were made in three separate public posts during the afternoon and included statements that both officials would be executed at specific times.
“Threatening to execute public officials is not political speech, it is a federal crime,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Enriquez used a public platform to issue repeated, specific threats against Secretary Rubio and Special Envoy Noem. Today’s guilty plea makes clear that those who attempt to terrorize public servants or intimidate them through threats of violence will be swiftly identified, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
“Threatening a Secretary of State or any senior State Department official is a serious federal offense,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security and Director of the Diplomatic Security Service Nicholas Collura. “Protecting the people who serve this country is our highest priority, and we will not hesitate to act against anyone who threatens their safety.”
Enriquez pleaded guilty to three counts of transmitting threats through interstate communications. He faces up to five years in federal prison on each count. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Diplomatic Security Service led the investigation with assistance from several agencies including the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, City of Miami Police Department, and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Y. Carré is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida oversees an area spanning about 15,197 square miles across nine counties serving more than 7 million residents; it operates under the U.S. Department of Justice with branch offices in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce and Key West; employs approximately 223 assistant attorneys along with support staff; prosecutes federal criminal and civil cases; collects certain federal debts; and covers nine counties in total, according to its official website.