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A Minneapolis resident was taken into custody on Thursday, facing charges of cyberstalking and making threats against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minnesota. The man’s actions were reportedly linked to law enforcement’s operations in the area.
Federal authorities announced that 37-year-old Kyle Wagner has been formally charged, and prosecutors are considering whether to pursue an indictment, which would be essential for proceeding to trial. This decision is expected shortly.
The case, filed in Detroit, Michigan, does not currently have a listed attorney representing Wagner. The complaint was initially submitted on Tuesday and became publicly available on Thursday.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi accused Wagner of revealing private information of law enforcement officers and issuing threats against them. She stated that Wagner claimed to be connected to antifa and promoted violent actions.
In September, President Donald Trump declared an intention to label antifa as a “major terrorist organization.” Antifa, short for “anti-fascists,” refers to various far-left militant groups that oppose fascist and neo-Nazi activities, particularly during protests and demonstrations.
When Trump administration border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that about 700 federal officers deployed to Minnesota would be withdrawn immediately, he said a larger pullout would occur only after there’s more cooperation and protesters stop interfering with federal personnel.
According to prosecutors, Wagner repeatedly posted on Facebook and Instagram encouraging his followers to “forcibly confront, assault, impede, oppose, and resist federal officers” whom he referred to as the “gestapo” and “murderers.”
The complaint alleges Wagner posted a video last month that directly threatened ICE officers with an obscenity-laden rant. “I’ve already bled for this city, I’ve already fought for this city, this is nothing new, we’re ready this time,” he said, concluding that he was “coming for” ICE.
The complaint further alleges that Wagner advocated for physical confrontation in another post, stating: “Anywhere we have an opportunity to get our hands on them, we need to put our hands on them.”
It also details how Wagner used his Instagram account to dox a person identified only as a “pro-ICE individual” by publishing a phone number, birth month and year, and address in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, Michigan. The complaint says Wagner later admitted that he doxed the victim’s parents’ house.
Federal prosecutors didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on why the case was filed in Michigan instead of Minnesota. The alleged doxing was the only Michigan connection listed in the complaint.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota has been hit by the resignations of several prosecutors in recent weeks amid frustrations with the surge and its handling of the shooting deaths of two people by government officers. One lawyer, who told a judge that her job “sucks,” was removed from her post.
Trump’s chief federal prosecutor for Minnesota, Dan Rosen, told a federal appeals court in a recent filing that his office is facing a “flood of new litigation” and is struggling to keep up just with immigration cases, while his division that handles civil cases is down 50%.
Rosen wrote that his office has canceled other civil enforcement work “and is operating in a reactive mode.” He also said his attorneys are “appearing daily for hearings on contempt motions. The Court is setting deadlines within hours, including weekends and holidays. Paralegals are continuously working overtime. Lawyers are continuously working overtime.”
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