The leader of the American ultra-right group Proud Boys (“Proud Boys”) turned out to be an informant for the authorities. It is reported by Reuters with reference to the documents at their disposal.
According to the agency, Enrique Tarrio was a law enforcement informant and worked undercover several times after he was arrested for fraud in 2012. Based on the transcript of a court hearing that took place in Miami in 2014, these two he helped law enforcement officers bring 13 people to justice and uncover an underground casino.
Jeffrey Feiler, who represented Tarrio in that court, said that his client worked undercover to solve numerous cases, including the sale of anabolic steroids, drug trafficking and smuggling of people across the border. According to the lawyer, Tarrio was an extremely “prolific” informant.
Tarrio himself denies cooperation with law enforcement agencies. However, in a conversation with the publication, he said that he allegedly warned the police about the planned actions of Proud Boys, but stopped doing this in mid-December 2020.
Members of the Proud Boys took part in the riots in Washington on January 6, five of them were indicted. Then protesters against the election results, Trump supporters broke into the Capitol building and surrounded the Senate hall. The Senate and the House of Representatives interrupted a meeting at which it was planned to approve the results of the last elections. Dozens of people were detained, five people died.