New Jersey twins Ricardo and Emilio Roman-Flores charged with threatening DHS officials: What to know

Ricardo and Emilio Roman-Flores face charges after violent posts targeting ICE.

A pair of New Jersey twins have been arrested after federal authorities say they issued graphic threats against a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official and urged followers online to “shoot ICE on sight.”

Federal officials said the threats were posted amid a sharp surge in violent rhetoric targeting immigration officers nationwide. (In Photo: Emilio Roman-Flores/ DHS)

The brothers, Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores, both US citizens from Absecon, were taken into custody after DHS and the Absecon Police Department SWAT team executed a search and arrest warrant on Tuesday, according to a DHS press release issued December 9.

Federal officials said the threats were posted amid a sharp surge in violent rhetoric targeting immigration officers nationwide. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons warned that the agency has documented an “8,000% increase in death threats” against its personnel.

The Roman-Flores brothers’ posts allegedly singled out Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, a prominent spokesperson for DHS’s immigration enforcement efforts.

Authorities say the messages, shared publicly on X, combined anti-ICE language with explicit calls for violence, prompting what officials described as an urgent law-enforcement response.

Who are Ricardo and Emilio Roman-Flores?

Accused of issuing violent threats against DHS leadership, Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores face a range of charges stemming from the online posts, according to DHS.

One message cited in the DHS release read:“[The Second] Amendment is in place for moments like this. Shoot ICE on sight.”

Another post, allegedly from the other brother, repeated the same call: “Shoot ICE on sight.”

Authorities say the threats explicitly targeted Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, with additional posts calling for her to be tortured and killed. McLaughlin has been a frequent public defender of DHS operations and recently condemned such threats as “despicable,” according to Fox News.

Charges:

• Emilio Roman-Flores faces counts of unlawful possession of an assault weapon, possession of prohibited weapons, conspiracy, terroristic threats, criminal coercion, threats, and cyber harassment.
• Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores is charged with conspiracy to make terroristic threats.

Both remain in custody with the Absecon Police Department.