440 arrests made over Capitol riot but FBI still hunting for ‘worst of the worst’
‘We’re not slowing down,’ law enforcement official says
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested approximately 440 people over alleged involvement in the Capitolriots on 6 January, but they are still searching for “the worst of the worst”.
According to a number of media reports, the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that 440 people had been arrested as of Thursday. The Independent has reached out to the DOJ to confirm the statistic.
Despite the steady announcement of charges against those allegedly involved in the insurrection one law enforcement official told NBC News that they’re "not done rounding up the worst of the worst.”
The FBI has continually asked for the public’s assistance in identifying individuals who they have accused of a variety of offenses including assault of police officers, destruction of government property, and obstruction of justice.
Pro-Trump rioters breached the Capitol following a “Save America” rally attended by the former president on the day in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election as lawmakers gathered to certify the results.
In a number of cases, social media posts have often led to the identification and arrest of suspects, with one New York man having even been located following a post bragging about his involvement on a dating app.
One man from Kentucky was arrested earlier this month after facial recognition to identify him from his girlfriend’s Instagram while another Texas suspect was turned in to investigators by his own son.
The agency has continued to release found footage and hundreds of photographs of people of interest in the hopes it will lead to their identification. Many rioters filmed and posted accounts of the insurrection on social media.
Five people died during the violence, including one Capitol police officer. In total more than 130 police officers were injured, NBC News reported.
“We have deployed our full investigative resources and are working closely with our federal, state, and local partners to aggressively pursue those involved in these criminal activities,” the FBI says.
Federal prosecutors said in a court filing on Thursday that “the investigation continues and the government expects that at least one hundred additional individuals will be charged,” Reuters reported.
Federal investigators have also focused their search on right-wing extremists militia groups, with more than 40 members of Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys having been arrested and charged so far, the outlet reported.
NBC News said that arrests had been made from people in all US states bar six and that men outnumbered women by seven to one with an average age of 39.
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