Wisconsin man charged after posting TikTok videos calling for the killing of ICE agents, prosecutors say
By Laura Sharman, CNN
(CNN) — A Wisconsin man has been charged with making threats against federal law enforcement after posting a series of TikTok videos in which he called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to be shot and killed, according to federal prosecutors.
Andrew Stanton, 38, of Kenosha, was arrested last week and indicted Wednesday on three federal charges, including threatening to assault, kidnap or murder a US official, court records show.
His arrest comes amid heightened tensions nationwide over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations and criticism over aggressive tactics observed to be used by immigration agents. The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly said it is targeting arrests of the “worst of the worst” and that its agents are facing a surge in attacks against them.
Stanton pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Thursday in US District Court in Milwaukee.
Prosecutors allege Stanton was behind multiple threatening TikTok videos posted from various accounts between August and October this year, according to the criminal complaint.
In one video posted four days before his arrest, Stanton allegedly called for ICE agents to be targeted, saying in the video, “If they (ICE) show up to your neighborhood…it’s time we start shooting at you,” according to the criminal complaint.
CNN has reached out to Stanton’s attorney for comment.
In a statement to the New York Times, John Bradley, a lawyer for Stanton, said: “It is important to remember that the contents of a criminal complaint represent one side of the story and are just allegations. Mr. Stanton pled not guilty. He is presumed innocent, and we will vigorously defend against these charges in court.”
Stanton is also accused of suggesting that mass shootings can be applied to federal agents, prosecutors said, citing a video posted in September. He also keyed on the September 10 murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, saying “do a lot more Charlie Kirks,” in a video posted that same day, the complaint alleges.
Authorities started looking into Stanton’s online activity in August after a tip from the Wisconsin Statewide Intelligence Center, a federal office that tracks suspected terror activity. Federal investigators flagged that an account registered to Stanton asked for information about the whereabouts of members of the Israeli military in the Illinois and Wisconsin area, according to the complaint.
A video posted near the end of August also featured Stanton with text superimposed on the screen that read in part, “a violent state can only be stopped with violence in return” and “I think we should be OFFING federal agents,” according to the complaint.
“You have to use bullets,” he was quoted as saying in the complaint.
Federal law enforcement officers tried to interview Stanton multiple times, in person and over the phone, in early September but were unsuccessful, the complaint said.
On September 11, a supervisor with US Customs and Border Patrol identified himself by first name in a text to Stanton and said he wanted to speak with him about his recent posts. In response, Stanton told him to go away, using an expletive, and sent a series of hostile messages, as well as one asking to meet in person, the complaint alleges.
A pretrial conference in Stanton’s case is scheduled for December 1, and his trial is scheduled for December 15, according to federal court records. Last week, a judge ordered Stanton to remain in detention pending his trial.
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