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Plant City Today
By the People, for the People
Florida Man Charged for Threatening to Kill Former President Trump
Authorities say 20-year-old Nick Guadalupe Cruz-Lopez posted on social media about plans to assassinate the former president.
Apr. 8, 2026 at 12:11pm
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A 20-year-old Florida man named Nick Guadalupe Cruz-Lopez has been arrested and charged with one count of threatening to kill the former president of the United States, Donald Trump. Cruz-Lopez allegedly posted a message on Instagram stating 'MAGA Otw to kill trump' along with a photo of himself holding an AR-15 style rifle in a vehicle. Federal authorities were alerted to the threat by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and were able to track down and apprehend Cruz-Lopez the same day.
Why it matters
Threats against former presidents are taken extremely seriously by federal law enforcement, and this case highlights the speed with which authorities can respond to potential threats made on social media platforms. The arrest also comes amid ongoing concerns about political violence and extremism in the United States.
The details
According to the criminal complaint, on April 2nd the U.S. Secret Service received an emergency disclosure from Meta about an Instagram post from an account under the username '813.cruzz'. The post featured a message stating 'MAGA Otw to kill trump' along with a photo of the account holder, later identified as Cruz-Lopez, holding an AR-15 style rifle while seated in a vehicle. Investigators were able to use location data, license plate readers, phone records, and other open-source intelligence to track down and arrest Cruz-Lopez the same day.
- On April 2, the U.S. Secret Service received the emergency disclosure from Meta about the threatening Instagram post.
- Later that same day, federal agents located and arrested Cruz-Lopez.
The players
Nick Guadalupe Cruz-Lopez
A 20-year-old Florida resident who has been charged with one count of threatening to kill the former president of the United States.
Meta
The parent company of Facebook and Instagram, which provided the emergency disclosure to the U.S. Secret Service about the threatening social media post.
U.S. Secret Service
The federal law enforcement agency responsible for protecting the president and other high-ranking officials, which received the emergency disclosure from Meta and apprehended Cruz-Lopez.
What’s next
Cruz-Lopez faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted. A judge will determine whether he will be allowed out on bail as the case proceeds.
The takeaway
This case underscores the seriousness with which federal authorities respond to any perceived threats against former presidents, and the speed at which they can act on information provided by social media platforms about potential extremist activity.
