California Man Arrested Over JD Vance Disneyland Threats

A 22-year-old California man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint after allegedly making online death threats against Vice President of the United States J.D. Vance during a July visit to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, according to the Department of Justice, as reported by Fox News.

Marco Antonio Aguayo, 22, of Anaheim, was taken into custody Friday following an investigation into a series of threatening comments allegedly posted on Disney’s official Instagram account on July 12.

That date coincided with Vice President Vance and his family visiting and staying at the Disneyland Resort.

Sicko Who Threatened to Blow Up JD Vance’s Family at Disneyland Gets to the ‘FO’ Parthttps://t.co/YdN9vwMtkb

— RedState (@RedState) January 16, 2026

Federal authorities allege Aguayo made multiple public comments referencing pipe bombs, imminent bloodshed, and violent action against what he described as “corrupt politicians.”

Based on those allegations, Aguayo was charged with threatening the president and successors to the presidency, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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Aguayo is expected to make his initial court appearance on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.

Attorney General Pam Bondi addressed the arrest in a Department of Justice news release, emphasizing the seriousness of the alleged threats and the risks faced by public officials.

“This case is a horrific reminder of the dangers public officials face from deranged criminals who would do them harm,” Bondi said.

“I am grateful that my friend Vice President Vance and his family are safe, applaud the police work that led to the arrest, and will ensure my prosecutors deliver swift justice.”

According to an affidavit submitted by a U.S. Secret Service special agent, just before 6:15 p.m. on July 12, an Instagram account posted a public comment on Disney’s page stating, “Pipe bombs have been placed in preparation for J.D. Vance’s arrival.”

Investigators say the same account followed up with additional comments escalating the threat.

A subsequent comment allegedly read, “It’s time for us to rise up and you will be a witness to it,” followed by a third post stating, “Good luck finding all of them on time, there will be bloodshed tonight, and we will bathe in the blood of corrupt politicians,” according to the affidavit.

Investigators traced the Instagram account allegedly used to post the threats to Aguayo through records obtained from Meta, Google, and other sources.

Authorities say those records linked the account to Aguayo’s email address, phone numbers, IP addresses, and his Anaheim residence.

When investigators questioned Aguayo at his home, officials say he initially claimed his Instagram account had been hacked.

According to the affidavit, Aguayo later admitted he made the posts himself, describing them as a “joke” and stating he intended to delete them.

Aguayo consented to searches of his phone, bedroom, and laptop, where investigators said they confirmed he was logged into the account that posted the threatening comments.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said federal authorities will aggressively pursue cases involving threats against public officials.

“We will not tolerate criminal threats against public officials,” Essayli said in the release.

“We are grateful the vice president and his family remained safe during their visit. Let this case be a warning to anyone who thinks they can make anonymous online threats. We will find you and bring you to justice.”

Federal officials did not report any actual explosive devices found at the resort, and the case remains under prosecution in federal court.

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