*Enrique Tarrio, leader of the all male extremist group Proud Boys, previously worked as an informer for the FBI and local law enforcement after he was arrested in 2012 for fraud.
According to a new report by Reuters, Tarrio was a “prolific” informer who repeatedly went undercover to help investigators prosecute 13 people for crimes related to drugs and human smuggling.
Tarrio’s past as an informer was revealed by the former federal prosecutor in his fraud case. His lawyer at the time also mentioned it while seeking a reduced sentence for his client, as revealed in a 2014 Miami federal court transcript obtained by Reuters.
In comments to the outlet, Tarrio denied being a snitch.
“I don’t know any of this,” he said. “I don’t recall any of this.”
READ MORE: Lawsuit Filed to Hold Proud Boys Accountable for Racist Attack on Historic Black Church in D.C.
Wow. Proud boys leader Enrique Tarrio was a snitch? Explains his quick arrest and expulsion before the Storming of the Capitol. Keeps him safe and allows FBI to roll up the group with solid inside intelligence. https://t.co/Wj4viHnuBf
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) January 27, 2021
Tarrio allegedly cooperated with authorities “in the prosecution of those running other, separate criminal enterprises, ranging from running marijuana grow houses in Miami to operating pharmaceutical fraud schemes,” according to Vanessa Singh Johannes, the former federal prosecutor in his case.
Earlier this month, Tarrio was arrested in D.C. and charged with destruction of property after burning a Black Lives Matter banner on display at a historic Black church in D.C. He was also charged with possession of high-capacity firearm magazines. Tarrio was ordered by a judge to vacate Washington ahead of the deadly Capitol riot.
We previously reported, members of the Proud Boys attacked and vandalized property of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, a historic Black church, on December 12, 2020, because of its congregants’ support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
A lawsuit filed in D.C. Superior court seeks to hold the Proud Boys, its leadership, and certain of its members accountable.
