Federal authorities arrested a Minneapolis activist Thursday on charges of threatening to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, marking what the Trump administration calls a marquee case in its crackdown on anti-ICE protests, according to the Justice Department and reporting by the Highland County Press.
Kyle Wagner, 37, was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations agents and charged with cyberstalking and making threats in federal district court in Minnesota. Photos from the arrest, published by the Highland County Press, show Mr. Wagner wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with “I’M ANTIFA!” as agents led him from a residential building in Minneapolis.
The Justice Department alleges Mr. Wagner used social media to encourage his followers to attack federal immigration officers, whom he referred to as “Gestapo” and “murderers.” Prosecutors say he crossed the line from protest to incitement when he urged followers in an expletive-laden message to get “guns” and “stop these” people, language cited in federal charging documents and reported by WHMI and Fox News.
Mr. Wagner has a bald head and extensive tattoos, including a red “RESISTANCE” tattoo across his chest and tattoos on his cheek. He also has a “Three Arrows” tattoo on his neck, an antifascist symbol. “I’m antifa,” he says at the start of some of his videos, according to clips circulated online and reviewed by multiple outlets.
The activist posted on Instagram under the handle “kaos.follows” and had built a following of tens of thousands before his accounts were deleted. His Instagram bio included a link to his Venmo account for donations, the hashtag “#IronFront,” referencing a left-wing antifascist movement, and his pronouns “he/him,” according to archived screenshots cited by AOL News. He described himself online as a “master-hate-baiter” and “entrepreneur.”
Mr. Wagner intensified his activism following the shooting deaths of two civilians during encounters with federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month. Renee Good was killed during a confrontation with an ICE officer on Jan. 7, and Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital, was fatally shot during an altercation with Customs and Border Protection personnel on Jan. 24, incidents that sparked protests and online outrage.
According to the criminal complaint, Mr. Wagner repeatedly posted on Facebook and Instagram in January, encouraging followers to forcibly confront federal officers. In a Jan. 13 post, prosecutors say Mr. Wagner wrote that Minnesota is “where ICE has come to die,” then threatened agents: “We want to know who they are. We will identify every single one of them and we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. If it has to be done at the barrel of a gun, then let us have a little [expletive] fun.”
The Justice Department also accused Mr. Wagner of doxxing, publishing the personal information of an ICE supporter in Michigan on Jan. 29. He allegedly posted the individual’s phone number, partial birthdate and an address in Oak Park, Michigan, while issuing threats, according to court filings summarized by the Highland County Press.
Attorney General Pam Bondi seized on Mr. Wagner’s arrest to send a message to those who would threaten law enforcement. “This man allegedly doxxed and called for the murder of law enforcement officers, encouraged bloodshed in the streets and proudly claimed affiliation with the terrorist organization antifa before going on the run,” Ms. Bondi said in announcing the charges Thursday. “Today’s arrest illustrates that you cannot run, you cannot hide, and you cannot evade our federal agents: If you come for law enforcement, the Trump administration will come for you.”
Mr. Wagner’s arrest comes amid Operation Metro Surge, a Trump administration initiative launched in December to expand immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota. More than 3,000 immigration agents were deployed to the Minneapolis area, and the administration said Wednesday that more than 4,000 people in the U.S. illegally were arrested nationwide as part of the operation.
Mr. Wagner is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court Thursday. It was not immediately clear whether he has retained legal counsel.
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