Pardoned Jan. 6 convict – who was sentenced to 22 years in prison – shows up at Trump’s new military summit with Marco Rubio

Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, appeared at an official State Department summit alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Tarrio documented his attendance and shared it publicly on social media platform X.

According to The Hill, he posted a photo of himself on X with Secretary Rubio, writing, “With @SecRubio at the Shield of the Americas summit.” He also added, “By far the President Trumps choices for his cabinet. Proud of this Cuban! Abajo con el comunismo!” 

He later corrected himself, writing, “The best choice by the President Excuse me.” The Spanish phrase translates to “down with communism,” which appears to reference the Cuban regime, currently under an oil embargo imposed by President Trump.

Tarrio’s presence at a government summit is significant given his criminal history and pardon

The event took place at the inaugural “Shield of the Americas” summit in Doral, Florida. The State Department described it as a gathering of the U.S.’s “strongest likeminded allies in our hemisphere,” with goals of promoting freedom, security, and prosperity across the region. The coalition aims to address foreign interference, criminal cartels, narco-terrorist gangs, and illegal immigration.

Trump also attended the summit and announced a “brand-new military coalition” aimed at eradicating criminal cartels in the region. This came shortly after he announced that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem would serve as a special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas” security initiative. Rubio has been a central figure in Trump’s foreign policy moves, though he has also faced scrutiny over some of his more controversial public statements.

Tarrio led the Proud Boys, a white nationalist organization, from 2018 to 2021. In 2023, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy related to his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump later pardoned Tarrio and other January 6 rioters.

Before his imprisonment, Tarrio had ties to Florida politics, having served as the Florida grassroots director for Latinos for Trump and running for a U.S. House seat in Florida in 2020. More recently, he was arrested for simple assault near the Capitol after a counterprotester filed charges against him during a protest. Trump’s circle has seen several unexpected political alignments lately, including a Democrat breaking ranks to support Trump’s Iran strikes.

His appearance at a high-level government summit marks a notable moment, given his background as a convicted felon who was pardoned before attending an official U.S. government event.