A 52-year-old man in Texas has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill President Donald Trump ahead of his planned trip to the Lone Star State, apparently referring to a previous failed attempt on the president’s life in a social media post with the caption, “I will not miss.”
Robert Herrera was arrested and charged with one count of making a terroristic threat against a public figure as well as making interstate threatening communications, authorities said.
“While the FBI fully supports and defends every American’s right to free speech, it is important to understand that threatening violence against any individual is not constitutionally protected speech; it is a federal crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office in a statement following Herrera’s arrest. “The FBI and our partners take threats of violence seriously and we urge the public to do the same.”
According to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, a San Antonio-based news outlet posted an article on its Facebook page on Thursday about Trump’s planned visit to Texas Hill Country.
In response to the news outlet us post, Herrera allegedly threatened to kill the president. Herrera’s post included a photo of Trump surrounded by Secret Service agents shortly after Thomas M. Crooks attempted to assassinate him at a July 13, 2024, campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks used a sniper rifle to shoot at Trump during the rally, partially striking his ear but ultimately leaving him unharmed.
Herrera, using the handle “Robert Herrer,” included a comment with Butler’s photo that read, “I will not miss.”
According to the criminal complaint, which was not publicly available as of Monday morning, a second unknown Facebook user responded to Herrera’s post with the words, “You will not get the chance, I promise.”
Herrera allegedly responded to the unknown user’s comment by writing, “I will just come for you.” The response included a photo of an assault rifle and loaded magazines, according to the Justice Department.
The same day the alleged threats were posted online, authorities located and arrested Herrera. The United States Secret Service, FBI, and San Antonio Police Department are all investigating the case, with help from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
“This case is an example of great cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement partners committed to taking down anyone who would threaten the life of the President or anyone else,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
“I would like to thank Chief [William] McManus and the SAPD team for their quick response to this threat. To be clear, we will not take these threats lightly, and we will always respond quickly and aggressively, as we did here.”
McManus stated that his department “remains committed” to ensuring that threats of violence “are taken seriously and addressed quickly.”
Herrera, if convicted of the federal charges, faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, according to the DOJ.
