A man from Columbus, Ohio, is facing federal charges after allegedly making threats on social media to “shoot” and “blast” federal immigration officers. According to prosecutors, a search of his home revealed rifles, ammunition, and body armor.
Identified as 21-year-old Justin Mesael Novoa, he is accused of making interstate threats, including those aimed at assaulting or murdering federal law enforcement personnel, as announced by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday.
The case documents reveal that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was alerted last month about threatening remarks targeted at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel on the social media platform X.
Investigators claim that on June 8, 2025, Novoa, using the handle @Father2High, posted a statement suggesting, “they should blast every ice agent they find.”
According to prosecutors, the same account later posted another inflammatory message on November 9, 2025, saying, “can’t wait to shoot these p—y ice agents and r——d maga maggots.” These posts were subsequently redacted and cited by the Department of Justice.
Prosecutors say the same account later posted another message on Nov. 9, 2025, stating: “can’t wait to shoot these p—y ice agents and r——d maga maggots.”
Federal agents executed a search warrant at Novoa’s home in December 2025, according to court filings.
During the search, authorities seized two rifles, two shotguns and one handgun, along with ammunition, prosecutors said. Agents also recovered two helmets and body armor, according to the DOJ.
DOJ records show the guns recovered by law enforcement agents from Novoa’s house. (Department of Justice)
A pro-Palestinian flag was also pictured hanging on a wall inside Novoa’s house near the guns and body armor.
Threatening to kill a federal officer carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, while making threatening interstate communications may result in up to five years in prison, prosecutors said.
DOJ photos show items allegedly recovered from Novoa’s residence, including a pro-Palestinian flag. (Department of Justice)
The case was announced by Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jared Murphey, acting special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Detroit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Prichard, according to the DOJ.
A criminal complaint contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. The DOJ did not indicate whether additional charges are expected and no injuries were reported in connection with the case.
