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By Mandy Taheri and Leonardo Feldman
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Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who received a pardon from President Donald Trump following his involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, told Newsweek he is “proud” of his past work with the FBI helping bring down a sex trafficking ring.
Why It Matters
Tarrio, who was previously sentenced to 22 years in prison, was among more than 1,500 individuals pardoned by Trump last January in the president’s first day back in office. The former Proud Boys leader had been convicted of seditious conspiracy, accused of orchestrating efforts to block the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election.
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Tarrio's sentence was the harshest given to any person convicted in connection with the Capitol riot. Prosecutors had sought 33 years behind bars for Tarrio, saying he was the ringleader of a plot to use violence to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election.
The former leader has vocally criticized the government and law enforcement at times, while often speaking favorably of the Trump administration. He was pursued by law enforcement officers over his involvement in the riot.
What To Know
In 2021, reports surfaced that Tarrio had worked as an FBI informant, citing court records and a former federal prosecutor. Tarrio was arrested in 2012 and later cooperated with the FBI.
Weeks after the Capitol riot, Reuters reported that his former lawyer, Jeffrey Feiler, called Tarrio a “prolific” cooperator with the FBI. When asked about his involvement Tarrio told Reuters, “I don’t know any of this,” and when pressed about the court transcripts, he said “I don’t recall any of this.”
However, in an interview with Newsweek ahead of the January 6 memorial march on Tuesday, Tarrio said, “There is some truth to the FBI informant story,” adding that “in 2013, I brought down a sex trafficking ring that came from Mexico.”
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He continued, “apparently they ran a whole bunch of different businesses from like marijuana grow houses and steroids and things like that so when they came to get them, they got everything else, so I'm proud of it.”
Earlier in the interview, Tarrio cast doubt on the effectiveness of law enforcement members, saying, “we might see a Metropolitan Police Department that does their job. I have no faith in the Capitol Police whatsoever. I'm sure a few of them are good, great officers, but from what I've seen from Capital PD, so we’re not expecting much from them.”
Tarrio did not take part of the physical events on January 6, having been arrested two days prior, but maintained control of the Proud Boys during the time.
Capitol Police clashed with rioters who were climbing into the Capitol building five years ago. Several people died during the event and its aftermath, including Ashli Babbitt who was fatally shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer while attempting to enter the House Speaker's Lobby, as well as Officer Brian Sicknick. Four police officers committed suicide after, and dozens were wounded. Around 1,500 people were charged in the Capitol attack.
Tuesday’s march is the first time that many January 6 rioters, known as J6ers, came together in the streets of Washington D.C. following their pardons by Trump. Tarrio told Newsweek on Tuesday, “It feels great to be home, and I can't thank the president enough for doing that, not just for me, for a whole bunch of people that are here in attendance.”
The former leader however did call out some of the president’s top officials, saying, “Am I happy with some of his appointees? No, but am I ever happy with the government? Absolutely not.”
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What People Are Saying
Sarah McAbee, whose husband was arrested at the US Capitol on January 6th, said during the march on Tuesday: “Five years, they had the courage to come to Washington D.C. to encourage their representatives to question the 2020 election, can’t forget that’s why they showed up on January 6. And the government waged war on these people. The police officers fired into peaceful crowds.”
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, said in an X post on Tuesday: “We will never forget what happened on January 6: Insurrectionists attacked our Capitol with the goal of overturning a free and fair election. Thanks to our heroic Capitol Police, democracy prevailed. We must keep fighting for our democracy — as we have for nearly 250 years.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in an X post on Tuesday: “Five years ago today, a violent mob brutally attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Their mission was to overturn a free and fair election. We will never allow extremists to whitewash their treachery.”
What Happens Next
The march started at 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday.
The official plaque honoring the police officers who defended the Capitol building five years ago, has not yet been displayed in the Capitol, as required by law. The plaque was approved by lawmakers in March 2022.
A spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a Monday night statement that "the statute authorizing this plaque is not implementable, and proposed alternatives devised by Democrat House staff, not members, also do not comply with the statute," per the Associated Press.
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