FILE – President Donald Trump speaks to the media, Friday, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File).
A man from Texas has been charged with posting violent threats online, targeting President Donald Trump and ICE agents. One YouTube video reportedly contained the phrase “Kill Trump” repeated more than 20 times, alongside a request for “a really good sniper.”
Francisco Jesus Mena, 36, from North Richland Hills, allegedly stated, “I want to take out Trump and a lot of his followers,” on YouTube last year, as detailed in a federal complaint.
Mena also purportedly offered his services in a chilling statement, saying, “If you need to hire someone with b—s. Let me know.” He added, “I don’t need money to take out Trump.”
The Justice Department reported on Friday that a federal grand jury indicted Mena on 10 counts of threatening a federal official. The DOJ mentioned that Mena had already been arrested for this crime in January.
In one of his alarming YouTube posts, Mena allegedly wrote “Kill Trump” at least 24 times in all capital letters, according to the complaint. He also declared, “I will kill Trump” and expressed his willingness to “pay someone to give me access.”
Mena also allegedly directed his threats toward immigration officers, claiming he would engage in a “gunfight” if federal agents appeared at his home. He further claimed, “I stabbed an ICE agent in 2009,” recounting that the agent pleaded with him to stop. “I would love to do this again,” Mena is quoted as saying in the complaint.
Prosecutors say Mena was tracked down through his YouTube account information and Google records, which showed that he used his actual birthdate, phone number, and address to create the account. Mena allegedly admitted to making the threats between May 13, 2025, and May 25, 2025.
“Mena also admitted to knowing that ‘people would knock on the door’ regarding his online posts,” the complaint says.
In addition to allegedly threatening Trump and ICE, prosecutors say Mena targeted the president’s supporters. “You are the prime target in the whole U.S.A.,” he wrote on YouTube, according to the complaint. “Blacks, white, Mexican, Asians vs. Trump supporters …. We will murder you!!!”
In another post, Mena said, “We out here killing them all slowly. Stabbed, shot, drugged, hung, everything! F— what you’re going through!!!!”
He added, “All these Trump mfs will die.”
Mena is scheduled to appear for his arraignment on Feb. 11. If convicted, prosecutors say he faces up to 96 years in federal prison.
“Some individuals falsely believe that they are immune from criminal penalties by posting vitriol online and not in person,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould in a statement. “The diligent work of our law enforcement partners time and again uncovers those attempting to hide behind a computer screen.”
