The Division of Homeland Safety mentioned this week {that a} migrant in america with out authorized standing threatened to shoot and kill President Donald Trump and posted what gave the impression to be a threatening letter despatched from the migrant to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
Ramon Morales Reyes allegedly wrote that he was going to shoot and kill Trump at one in every of his rallies and was arrested by ICE brokers.
Nevertheless, a number of legislation enforcement sources now say authorities are investigating whether or not the letter was despatched by another person in an try to border him.
Reyes, 54, submitted to a handwriting check that didn’t match the letter’s writing.
Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X following his arrest to reward the brokers and mentioned she would “proceed to take all measures mandatory to make sure the safety of President Trump.”
“Due to our ICE officers, this unlawful alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars,” she added.
Noem has not commented on whether or not Reyes may have been framed.
Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with sailors and coast guardsmen at a Naval Assist Exercise, in Manama, Bahrain, Could 24, 2025.
Alex Brandon through Reuters
Authorities mentioned they consider Reyes was concerned in a dispute with one other man who’s in jail on prices of threatening Trump and wished to get Reyes deported to stop him from testifying in opposition to him, sources mentioned.
“The investigation into the menace is ongoing,” a senior DHS official instructed ABC Information when requested concerning the case. “Over the course of the investigation, this particular person was decided to be within the nation illegally and that he had a legal document. He’ll stay in custody.”
The Milwaukee Police Division, which is investigating the menace, instructed ABC Information that it “is investigating an identification theft and sufferer intimidation incident associated to this incident.”
A spokesperson for MPD mentioned the division “won’t be able to substantiate names of the events concerned because the investigation is ongoing and nobody has been criminally charged presently.”
Within the preliminary press launch touting the arrest of Reyes, DHS mentioned Reyes was within the nation illegally at the very least 9 occasions and has a violent legal historical past.
“This menace comes not even a yr after President Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, and fewer than two weeks after former FBI Director Comey known as for the president’s assassination,” Noem said after Reyes’ arrest.
“All politicians and members of the media ought to take discover of those repeated makes an attempt on President Trump’s life and tone down their rhetoric,” she added.
White Home Deputy Chief of Workers Stephen Miller prepares to take reporters’ questions exterior the West Wing of the White Home in Washington, Could 9, 2025.
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock, Recordsdata
The Secret Service, which investigates threats in opposition to the president, referred ABC Information to DHS for remark.
The incident was first reported by CNN.
It comes as simply final week, Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of employees on the White Home, was at ICE headquarters alongside Noem and urged senior leaders at ICE and Homeland Safety Investigations to step up their deportation efforts, in accordance with sources aware of the assembly.
The assembly was attended by senior ICE leaders and the particular brokers answerable for Homeland Safety Investigations. Border czar Tom Homan was absent from the assembly.
Miller instructed senior ICE leaders that the Trump administration desires to triple the every day variety of arrests brokers had been making as much as 3,000 per day, in accordance with sources.
