DHS Arrests New Jersey Twins Over Threats Against Immigration Officers

The threats were allegedly aimed at Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin and called for violence against ICE agents, officials said.

(Left) Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores. (Right) Emilio Roman-Flores. DHS

Federal agents and local police announced on Dec. 9 the arrest of two U.S. citizens in New Jersey after they allegedly made online threats to kill a top Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official and shoot Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

Federal law enforcement apprehended twin brothers Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores in Absecon on Dec. 8 with the help of a SWAT team from the local police department.

DHS said Emilio Roman-Flores has been charged with “unlawful possession of an assault weapon, possession of prohibited weapons, conspiracy to commit terroristic threats, criminal coercion, making threats and cyber harassment.” Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores is charged with conspiracy terroristic threats.

The brothers remain in custody with the Absecon Police Department. Their attorneys couldn’t be reached for comment.

The threats were specifically aimed at DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin and called for violence against ICE agents, according to officials.

“Let this be a warning to anyone who dares threaten or attack our brave law enforcement officers,” acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a statement. “We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We are NOT afraid of you.”

Lyons also said that “extreme rhetoric” from the media, politicians, and activists has caused an 8,000 percent increase in death threats directed at enforcement officers.

In mid-October, DHS issued an advisory against doxing ICE agents, noting that officers have reported a 1,000 percent rise in physical attacks, while their relatives face online harassment and threats.

The department confirmed that individuals who reveal personal information, issue warnings, or physically assault agents will face maximum legal charges.

“Like everyone else, our law enforcement officers just want to go home to their families at night,” the agency stated.

Last month, federal investigators in Florida apprehended Joseph Giancola, a Fort Myers resident, who allegedly made lethal threats toward ICE staff on the Bluesky network under the alias “Cain Delon.”

In October, a Mexican illegal immigrant was taken into custody in Dallas after uploading a video to TikTok in which he solicited assassins with $10,000 rewards for slaying ICE agents. Authorities said they found a loaded 9mm pistol in his car, compounding charges because federal law prohibits illegal immigrants from possessing firearms.

In November, two Texas-based ICE facilities received mail containing unidentified white powder, prompting lockdowns and hazardous materials responses.

“We call on politicians and activists to tone down their rhetoric before a law enforcement officer is killed,” McLaughlin said at the time.