Las Cruces man says alleged threats to kill Biden were ‘political expression’

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - A defense lawyer for a Las Cruces man accused of threatening to kill President Joe Biden says texts the man sent were taken out of context and were “simply political expression.”

According to court records, 39-year-old John Benjamin Thornton of Las Cruces was arrested this week.

A criminal complaint alleged he violated federal law by threatening in communications in interstate commerce to injure another person.

The complaint said Thornton’s phone was in Las Cruces when the texts were sent May 18 to people in Florida and Texas.

Assistant Public Defender Bernadette Sedillo said that Thornton denies the allegations.

Sedillo also said the messages cited in the complaint were taken out of context and represented political expression, not “”a true threat made by Mr. Thornton.”