Washington (AFP) - The leader of the Proud Boys, one of the main rightwing militia groups in the US, was arrested Tuesday over his role in the assault against the US Capitol last year, officials said.
Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, 38, has been indicted on conspiracy and other charges along with five other members of the organization, said Matthew Graves, US attorney for the District of Columbia, who is leading the sprawling probe into the insurrection targeting the seat of US democracy on January 6, 2021.
Tarrio, a fervent supporter of Donald Trump, is not accused of physically breaching the US Capitol along with hundreds-strong mob of then president's supporters who overran the building that houses Congress on January 6, 2021 as lawmakers gathered to certify Joe Biden's election win over Trump.
Rather, the indictment states that Tarrio "led the advance planning and remained in contact with other members of the Proud Boys during their breach of the Capitol."
Tarrio was arrested on January 4 of last year on a warrant charging him with destruction of property in the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner posted at a church in Washington.
He was released and ordered to stay out of Washington, which would explain why he was not in the city the day of the insurrection.
Tarrio is the second far-right leader arrested over the Capitol riot that stunned America and the world.
The founder and leader of a group called the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, 56, and 10 members of it were arrested January 13 of this year and charged with seditious conspiracy, the most serious of any of the charges filed so far in the insurrection.
So far more than 775 people have been arrested in connection with the events of that day.
