Authorities on Wednesday announced the arrest of Joe Biggs, right-wing media personality and member of the violent extremist group the Proud Boys, for participating in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol breach.
HuffPost reports that FBI officials arrested Biggs on three charges. Biggs was reportedly seen breaking a Capitol window using a clear plastic shield.
A video posted on the controversial social media site Parler apparently showed Biggs inside the building.
“In the video, a voice off camera says, ‘Hey Biggs, what do you gotta say?’ The person depicted below smiles broadly and replies, ‘This is awesome!’ before pulling his gaiter up to cover his face,” said an FBI agent in an affidavit obtained by HuffPost.
Biggs reportedly admitted to FBI officials that he had entered the Capitol but denied “having any knowledge of any pre-planned storming the Capitol, and had no idea who planned it.” He claimed the doors to the Capitol were wide open when he entered the building.
However, Biggs reportedly posted online that Proud Boys would be “blending in,” HuffPost notes, and wrote “Jan 6th is gonna be epic.”
Several people associated with the Proud Boys organization have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the deadly riot. The FBI affidavit notes that members of the Proud Boys were wearing earpieces as they broke into the Capitol.
As HuffPost notes, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio has been arrested and ordered to stay out of D.C.
Dominic “Spaz” Pezzola was arrested in New York on Saturday for his part in the Capitol riot. He has allegedly participated in Proud Boys rallies in the past. Pezzola reportedly bragged after breaching the Capitol that he would have killed “anyone they got their hands on,” including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and then-Vice President Pence.