Virginia Man Arrested for Threatening Kamala Harris: 'They All Need to Die and They Will Soon'
Frank Lucio Carillo, a 66-year-old resident of Winchester, Virginia, has been arrested and charged with making violent threats against Vice President Kamala Harris. Carillo appeared in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Virginia, following his arrest at his Winchester home last week. The arrest is the culmination of a detailed investigation that began after a series of alarming online threats were reported.
The investigation into Carillo’s activities was initiated on July 27 when the Recorder’s Office of Maricopa County, Arizona, alerted the FBI’s Phoenix Office about potential threats posted on GETTR, a social media platform founded by conservative political figure Stephen Miller. The FBI’s probe uncovered a disturbing pattern of threatening behavior from Carillo, who had been active on the platform since November 2023.
Carillo, who used the username “joemadarats1,” made a staggering 4,359 posts and replies concerning various public figures, including President Joe Biden and FBI Director Christopher Wray. However, the focus of the investigation was Carillo’s violent threats directed at Vice President Harris. According to court documents, Carillo made 19 separate posts targeting Harris, including highly incendiary comments such as, “Kamala Harris needs to be put on fire alive I will do it personally if no one else does it I want her to suffer a slow agonizing death,” and “Crapler Harris is laying thieving piece of garbage like the rest of this administration they all need to die and they will soon.” Another post dated February 22 included a threat stating, “I HAVE MY AR-15 LOCKED AND LOADED.”
The investigation led authorities to Carillo’s home in Winchester, where the FBI Richmond Division executed a search warrant. During the raid, agents seized a 9 mm pistol, an AR-15 rifle, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Additionally, investigators discovered other disturbing posts made by Carillo, including incitements to violence against Muslims and threats targeting illegal voters.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador addressed the seriousness of the situation, emphasizing the FBI’s commitment to protecting the public. He stated, “The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people. We take all threats of violence seriously, and we will investigate them to the fullest and hold those responsible accountable.”
Carillo now faces federal charges of making threats against the Vice President of the United States. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh highlighted the critical balance between free speech and the unacceptable nature of violent threats. “Open political discourse is a cornerstone of our American experience. We can disagree. We can argue and we can debate. However, when those disagreements cross the line to threats of violence, law enforcement must step in,” Kavanaugh said.
This case underscores the ongoing challenges in ensuring the safety of public officials and the importance of addressing threats of violence with the utmost seriousness. The legal proceedings against Carillo will continue as authorities work to address the broader implications of his threats and ensure that similar cases are handled with the necessary rigor.
