Miami’s Ex-Proud Boy Leader Enrique Tarrio Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison

Long before he made headlines as the architect of the January 6 attack, New Times chronicled Tarrio’s rise among Proud Boy circles in South Florida and his run-ins with the law.

By Naomi Feinstein

On September 5, 2023

Miami native and former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in 2021 —the longest sentence handed to a January 6 defendant.

In May, Tarrio and other members of the far-right organization were convicted of seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, among other charges. Prosecutors claimed the then-Proud Boys leader directed a squad known as the “Ministry of Self Defense” in a siege of the Capitol aimed at blocking the transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden.

While Tarrio was not at the Capitol during the riot — as he was arrested two days earlier on charges related to the burning of a stolen Black Lives Matter flag — prosecutors claimed he organized and spearheaded the Proud Boys’ assault on the building. Prosecutors used a trove of text messages to show that the Proud Boys leader refused to accept Trump’s election defeat and became resolved to revolt in the weeks leading up to January 6.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, pointed to social media posts in which Tarrio proclaimed during the assault, “Don’t fucking leave,” and “Proud of my boys and my country.” The judge characterized Tarrio as the undisputed captain of a militant branch of the Proud Boys, motivated by his desire to be viewed as a revolutionary.

Prosecutors had sought a 33-year sentence in a memo that documented how police officers were beaten and pepper-sprayed by the mob.

“The actions of these defendants threatened the bedrock principles of our country — democracy and the rule of law. These defendants sought out and embraced their role as the purveyors of street violence to achieve their political objectives,” the memo said, referring to Tarrio and his co-defendants.

Pleading for leniency, Tarrio told the court, “What happened on January 6 was a national embarrassment.” His attorneys had argued for a lower sentence, claiming Tarrio did not advocate for violence or property destruction.

Four former Proud Boys who were tried alongside Tarrio were sentenced last week for their roles in the attack, including Dominic Pezzola, who smashed a Capitol window in the first breach of the building, and Zachary Rehl, who led the charge into the building and sprayed a police officer with an irritant chemical amid the chaos, according to prosecutors’ sentencing memos.

Long before Tarrio made headlines as the architect of the January 6 attack, New Times was chronicling his life as a regular Miami kid, his rise among Proud Boy circles in South Florida, and his run-ins with the law.

Here is a rundown of New Times‘ coverage of Tarrio through the years:

Regular Miami Kid

Tarrio was born in Miami, a first-generation American son of Cuban immigrants. He was raised among Catholic, conservative family members, some of whom were Cuban exiles with a strong disdain for leftist politics. He attended the now-defunct Il Savior Academy in Sunset before dropping out in 11th grade.

Hate Goes Mainstream With Miami Proud Boys

Tarrio joined the Proud Boys’ Miami chapter when it was a burgeoning group with a relatively small membership and with Vice News co-founder Gavin McInnes as its leader. Tarrio attended high-profile rallies like the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right event and participated in the group’s clashes with leftist protesters around the country. His refusal to shy away from confrontation helped him rise through the ranks and obtain Proud Boys’ highest designation as a “fourth-degree” member. After a riot involving several Proud Boys in New York City, McInnes stepped down and Tarrio became the chairman of the group in late 2018.

Twitter Ban

After Twitter suspended Tarrio and other Proud Boys in the fall of 2018, he made his way back on the platform and made threats to report undocumented immigrants to federal agents.

Congressional Run

The Proud Boys leader announced he was challenging then-Rep. Donna Shalala in Florida’s 27th Congressional District in the 2020 election. In the three months since announcing his run, Tarrio raised less than $5,000.

Black Church Banner Burning

Two days before the January 6 insurrection, Tarrio was arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of destruction of property for burning a Black Lives Matter banner stolen from a historic Black church in Washington, D.C. He also faced weapons charges after police discovered two high-capacity firearm magazines in his possession.

Vice City Rift

After Reuters uncovered that Tarrio had worked as a federal law enforcement informant following his 2012 arrest in an illicit medical supply resale scheme, the group disavowed their leader and frequently called him a rat. In the months following that report, Tarrio was ousted from his position and formed a new chapter called Villain City.

Sentenced to D.C. Jail

Tarrio was sentenced to 155 days in a Washington, D.C., jail in August 2021 for the December 2020 flag-burning incident after pleading guilty to destruction of property and attempted possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device. He told New Times following sentencing, “Like Jeffrey Epstein, I’m not going to kill myself in jail.”

“Horrendous Conditions”

Just two months into his five-month sentence, Tarrio filed an emergency motion asking to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement in Miami because of “horrendous conditions” inside D.C. Central Detention Center. He claimed he had to deal with poop-filled water flooding his cell, guards slamming him into concrete walls, and the constant smell of burning toilet paper that fellow detainees use to light cigarettes.

Safer in Jail?

After the judge denied his motion for compassionate release, Tarrio did not receive sympathy from members of Miami’s Vice City Proud Boys, the chapter he founded in 2018. A message in a South Florida Proud Boys chat made thinly veiled threats that he’d face retribution if he were granted the opportunity to return to Miami.

January 6 Committee Subpoena

The U.S. House of Representatives select committee to investigate the January 6 riot issued a subpoena to the far-right leader, seeking to determine whether Tarrio had communications with Trump relating to the January 6 riot and any connection between Tarrio and government and/or military officials. The subpoena alleged that Tarrio and the Proud Boys played a direct role in planning the riot.

Tarrio Homecoming

Ahead of his release from jail, Tarrio told New Times he no longer wanted to lead the Proud Boys and hoped to create a new organization concentrated on political activism around right-wing causes on the local government level. Using the connections he built while working with the Proud Boys and Latinos for Trump, he wanted to rally people together for school board meetings, city commission meetings, and municipal elections.

Arrested in Miami, Charged in Capitol Riot

Less than two months after he was released from jail in the flag-burning case, Tarrio was indicted on federal charges for his involvement with the January 6 insurrection. The feds claimed Tarrio was at the center of the plot and met with other far-right groups to coordinate the siege. Despite not being at the Capitol that day because of his January 4 arrest, prosecutors claimed Tarrio stayed in contact with high-ranking Proud Boys as they stormed the Capitol, sending messages celebrating the bedlam, one of which proclaimed, “Make no mistake… We did this.”

This piece was republished from the Miami New Times.