Enrique Tarrio, sentenced for central role in Jan. 6 plot, is freed by Trump

Michael Wilner and Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald on Jan 20, 2025

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WASHINGTON — Enrique Tarrio, a Miami native convicted on felony charges of seditious conspiracy for his role in plotting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, has been released from a 22-year prison sentence among a sweeping declaration of pardons by Donald Trump, one of the new president’s first acts in office.

In all, Trump commuted the sentences of 14 people for their role in the attack. But he then issued “a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol” that day, according to a copy of the executive order released by the White House.

Tarrio had been chairman of the Proud Boys when he helped plan the march on the Capitol, court records from his trial showed. The Floridian was seen by the Justice Department and Jan. 6 select congressional committee as one of the most egregious offenders among more than 1,400 individuals who were convicted over the events of that day.

Tarrio never entered the capital region in person on Jan. 6. But as the attack unfolded, Tarrio took credit online. “Make no mistake,” he wrote at the time. “We did this.”

The Justice Department charged him over his effort “to oppose by force the authority of the government of the United States” due to his role on Jan. 6, the original indictment reads.

Hearings from the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack also highlighted Tarrio’s role, finding that he and other Proud Boys were captured on video acknowledging that Trump’s remark about their group at a 2020 presidential debate — that the Proud Boys should “stand back and stand by” — was interpreted by followers as a green light for their actions.

Tarrio previously had served as Florida state director for an independent Latinos for Trump group.

At an inaugural rally on Monday night, Trump did not mention Tarrio by name, but told a crowd that he planned to make good on his promise to pardon people charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, referring to them as “hostages.”

“Tonight, I’m gonna be signing on the J6 hostages’ pardons to get them out,” Trump told a crowd at Capitol One Arena. “We’ll be signing pardons for a lot of people. A lot of people.”

The president made the announcement while standing on a stage, in front of the families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

About 30 minutes after Trump left the rally, Tarrio’s mom posted on social media that her son had been released from custody.

“Omg! Lord Thank you!!! TARRIO IS FREE!!!” Zuny Tarrio wrote in a post.

Trump said the pardons would be signed through an executive order that he would sign at the Oval Office after the rally. Zuny Tarrio’s post came before any executive order had been released to the public.

One of the 14 individuals whose sentences were commuted, Kelly Meggs, was another Floridian charged with seditious conspiracy. Meggs also was shown to be active in planning the events of that day in court filings, and led the physical charge into the U.S. Capitol chamber under the alias “Gator One.”

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