Enrique Tarrio, who was the chairman of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys, was arrested and charged with conspiracy for his alleged role in planning the Jan. 6, 2021, attack,, NPR reports. He is one of the most prominent defendants yet to face charges over his involvement in the insurrection. Although Tarrio is not accused of physically taking part in the breach of the Capitol – or even being in Washington D.C., at the time – the Justice Department said Tarrio, 38, "conspired to corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding, the certification of the Electoral College vote." As the leader and creator of a special chapter of the Proud Boys known as the Ministry of Self Defense, Tarrio "led the advance planning and remained in contact with other members of the Proud Boys during their breach of the Capitol," according to prosecutors. The Justice Department said he claimed credit for the attack on social media and in an encrypted chat room during and after the attack.
Tarrio was indicted on one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and a count of obstruction of an official proceeding. He also faces two counts each of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers and destruction of government property. Tarrio was kept from participating in the Capitol riot after he pleaded guilty to stealing and burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was hanging from a D.C. church, and for bringing a high capacity magazine into Washington. A condition of his release on Jan. 5, 2021, was that he stay out of Washington. Tarrio was arrested in Miami and is scheduled to make his initial court appearance there. Since the insurrection, the Justice Department has arrested more than 775 people in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the events of that day. More than 245 of them have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.