Former Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio Arrested Near US Capitol for Assaulting Protester

Enrique Tarrio, the former national leader of the far-right group Proud Boys, was arrested on Friday near the US Capitol on charges of assaulting a protester. The incident occurred after Tarrio attended a gathering alongside other individuals who had received presidential pardons for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

According to Capitol Police, Tarrio struck a woman’s cellphone and arm after she placed her phone close to his face while he was walking near the Capitol. The confrontation unfolded shortly after Tarrio left a news conference that had reportedly ended without any issues. Authorities stated, “The woman told our officers that she wanted to be a complainant, and [Tarrio] was arrested for simple assault.” Tarrio’s legal team has not yet responded to the incident.

Tarrio, a Miami resident, was previously serving a 22-year sentence—the longest prison term among all Capitol riot-related cases. However, in January 2025, Donald Trump, after returning to the White House, granted clemency to all 1,500+ individuals charged in connection with the Capitol attack. This decision, one of Trump’s first major acts after reclaiming the presidency, has been highly controversial, with a Washington Post/Ipsos poll indicating that over 80% of Americans disapprove of the mass pardons.

Tarrio and three Proud Boys associates were convicted of seditious conspiracy for orchestrating the January 6 attack in an attempt to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss. On Friday, Tarrio appeared at a press conference alongside Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who had also been convicted of seditious conspiracy but had his 18-year prison sentence commuted by Trump.

The arrest of Enrique Tarrio underscores the ongoing political and legal battles surrounding the Capitol riots, as well as the deep divisions over Trump’s controversial pardons. The incident has sparked renewed debates over accountability and justice for those involved in the January 6 attack.