The Department of Justice has arrested a 20-year-old Florida man for threatening to kill President Trump in an Instagram post showing him holding an AR-15-style rifle. Nick Guadalupe Cruz-Lopez of Plant City, Florida, was charged with making a threat to the President under federal law. If convicted, Cruz-Lopez faces up to five years in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint filed by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, Cruz-Lopez posted an Instagram image on April 2, 2026, captioned “MAGA Otw to kill trump” while positioned in a vehicle with the rifle. Federal agents located and arrested him that same day.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts. A criminal complaint is a formal charge that does not constitute proof of guilt, as defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Separately, a Massachusetts man named Andrew D. Emerald was arrested for allegedly plotting to assassinate Trump after brandishing swords during an FBI visit to his home on April 1. Emerald, who is in his 40s, reportedly told agents he would have to be shot. Federal agents seized multiple blades and weapons from his residence following his surrender. Emerald faces charges including eight counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications, with potential penalties of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
These incidents follow a pattern of recent arrests targeting President Trump’s safety through online threats and physical intimidation.