Tallahassee Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Trump and Other Political Figures

Diego Villavicencio, a 36-year-old man from Tallahassee, has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges after threatening the lives of President Donald Trump, former U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the guilty plea on April 28, 2026, revealing a disturbing pattern of violent threats posted publicly and privately over several months.

Court documents show Villavicencio used social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter) and the anonymous forum 4chan, to issue his threats. On September 15, 2025, he posted an image on X showing a red sight and crosshairs aimed at Powell’s head with the text “Jerome. Powell will be shot and killed September 23.” A similar post followed the next day targeting Swalwell, including a direct message threatening to kill him and his family.

Villavicencio’s threats escalated in January 2026 when he declared on 4chan that he planned to “take a couple of shots at trump and some of the other corrupt plutocrats” at Mar-a-Lago, the former president’s Florida estate. These posts reflect the toxic environment of political violence and the risks faced by public officials amid rising extremist rhetoric.

Facing up to 25 years in prison, Villavicencio is scheduled for sentencing on July 20 in Tallahassee. This case highlights the ongoing threat posed by individuals radicalized to violence against political leaders, a symptom of the broader corrosive effects of authoritarianism and political hatred that our democracy must confront.

We will continue to monitor and report on threats to democratic institutions and the officials who serve them. Holding power accountable means exposing not just corruption but also the violent backlash it can provoke.