JUST IN: Justice Department Announces Indictment Against Man For Allegedly Attempting To Assassinate Trump Cabinet Member

The Justice Department has announced an indictment involving a serious allegation against a man. According to officials, the case centers on an alleged plot targeting a former member of the Trump administration.

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced an indictment against a Massachusetts man accused of attempting to assassinate a member of former President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. Ryan Michael English, 24, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, is facing serious federal charges after allegedly carrying a knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails onto the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on January 27, 2025. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, English has been charged in a two-count indictment with the attempted assassination of a presidential cabinet nominee and with carrying a dangerous weapon on Capitol grounds.

Federal officials say English approached a U.S. Capitol Police officer outside the South Door of the Capitol building and voluntarily said, “I’d like to turn myself in.” During the encounter, he admitted to carrying weapons and having violent intentions. Capitol Police officers searched him and discovered a folding knife, along with two makeshift incendiary devices—50-milliliter vodka bottles fitted with grey cloth wicks—concealed in his jacket. A green lighter was also recovered from another pocket. Authorities believe English planned to use these items to harm a government official.

Charging documents allege that English had traveled to Washington, D.C., specifically to carry out an attack on a presidential cabinet nominee who was testifying before the Senate that day. He reportedly confessed that he had initially intended to target House Speaker Mike Johnson and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but ultimately redirected his focus to Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent upon learning that Bessent’s confirmation hearing coincided with his visit to the Capitol.

In addition to the weapons, investigators recovered a note from English’s pocket addressed to a family member, which reportedly read in part: “This is terrible but I can’t do nothing while nazis kill my sisters… I’m so sorry for lying and plotting and lying.” The note and his statements suggested ideological motivations behind the alleged plot.

U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger announced the charges. English, also known by the alias “Reily,” had his initial court appearance the same afternoon and remains in custody. He faces charges of carrying a dangerous weapon or incendiary device on Capitol grounds and unlawful possession of an incendiary device.

The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in coordination with Capitol Police and other federal law enforcement agencies, as the investigation into the full scope and motives behind the alleged plot continues.

Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.