Texas man charged in Capitol riot and threat against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

DALLAS â€”  A 34-year-old Texas man has been arrested on suspicion of taking part in the storming of the U.S. Capitol this month and posting violent threats, including a call to assassinate Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

Garret Miller, who is from the Dallas suburb of Richardson, was arrested Friday after being named in a five-count federal complaint.

Authorities allege that Miller posted photos and videos on his social media accounts that show him inside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 storming of the building by supporters of President Trump. They also say he called for violence in online posts, including a tweet that simply read, “Assassinate AOC,� a reference to Ocasio-Cortez.

In another tweet, Miller posted: “They are right next time we bring the guns,� an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit.

Miller also threatened a U.S. Capitol Police officer during an exchange on Instagram, writing that he planned to “hug his neck with a nice rope,� the affidavit states.

After posting a photo on Facebook showing him inside the Capitol, Miller responded to a comment on the picture, writing: “just want to incriminate myself a little lol,� according to an FBI affidavit.

Ocasio-Cortez on Friday posted Miller’s charging documents on Twitter and then tweeted: “On one hand you have to laugh, and on the other know that the reason they were this brazen is because they thought they were going to succeed.�

Miller’s attorney, Clint Broden, said in an email to the Associated Press that Miller regrets the actions he took “in a misguided effort to show his support for former President Trump.�

“His social media comments reflect very ill-considered political hyperbole in very divided times and will certainly not be repeated in the future,� Broden said. “He looks forward to putting all of this behind him.�

Miller is scheduled for a detention hearing Monday.

“We are hopeful that, given his family support and regret for his actions, he will be released so that he can resolve the charges against him in a timely fashion,� Broden said.