California Man Arrested for Alleged Threats Against Vice President During Disneyland Visit

A 22-year-old man from California, Marco Antonio Aguayo, has been taken into custody on federal charges related to online threats he allegedly made against Vice President J.D. Vance while Vance was visiting Disneyland in Anaheim last July.

Aguayo reportedly posted several alarming messages on Disney’s official Instagram account, mentioning pipe bombs and violence towards “corrupt politicians” during the Vice President’s visit and stay at the resort. Following these threats, he was arrested on Friday.

The criminal complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, charges Aguayo with threatening the President and his successor. He is set to appear in court for the first time on Tuesday in Santa Ana.

According to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the case highlights the serious risks faced by public figures like Vance. She expressed gratitude that Vance and his family are safe and praised law enforcement for their swift action in apprehending Aguayo.

In a statement from a U.S. Secret Service agent, it was noted that just before 6:15 p.m. on July 12, a comment appeared on Disney’s Instagram account saying, “Pipe bombs have been planted in preparation for the arrival of J.D. Vance.” Other comments escalated the threats, warning of bloodshed targeting corrupt politicians.

Investigators traced Aguayo’s email, phone number, and Instagram account through records from Meta and Google. When questioned, Aguayo initially claimed his account was hacked but later acknowledged that he intended to post a “joke” that he meant to delete.

Aguayo permitted a search of his belongings, which confirmed he was logged into the account used for the threatening posts. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essairi reassured the public that such threats against officials will not be tolerated, reinforcing that anyone who thinks they can make anonymous threats online will be pursued and prosecuted.