Miami man jailed for threatening Rubio, Noem
Jon Christopher Enriquez received a two-year federal sentence after posting execution threats online and keeping notes about shooting Cubans in the U.S.
By Renata Mehta ·
The State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service investigated a Miami man who claimed he would kill senior federal officials, leading to his arrest and a search of his home.
Jon Christopher Enriquez, 47, was sentenced on Oct. 16 to 24 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom also ordered three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to three counts of transmitting threats through interstate communications.
The case began on May 27 when Enriquez posted a series of messages on X. Around 1:30 p.m., he accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio of seditious conspiracy and referenced military aircraft. He wrote that Rubio and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were to be executed at 4:30 p.m.
Twenty-one minutes later, he posted another message stating the only way to silence Rubio was through death. At 3:11 p.m., he changed the execution time to 4:00 p.m., repeating the threat in both English and Spanish.
Federal prosecutors said investigators quickly identified Enriquez. They noted he lived minutes from locations Rubio frequented in Miami-Dade County, where the secretary of state was expected to visit within days of the posts.
After his arrest, agents executed a search warrant for his residence. They found a computer displaying images of government officials and a whiteboard mentioning SouthCom, the U.S. Southern Command based in Doral. Agents also recovered a typewritten note that prosecutors described as authorizing Americans to shoot Cubans in the United States.
Enriquez’s attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Leticia M. Olivera, disputed the government’s characterization of the whiteboard as containing plans. She argued the note about Cubans was not connected to the online threats. Both sides agreed a sentencing enhancement for intent to act should not apply, citing that the physical evidence was discovered after the posts.
Olivera presented Enriquez as a Navy veteran with a history of trauma, psychiatric illness, and substance abuse. She noted he was discharged due to his sexual orientation and had no prior violent record. The defense calculated an advisory range of 18 to 24 months but sought a shorter term, citing a median sentence of 12 months for similar defendants over the prior five years.
Enriquez submitted handwritten letters to Rubio, Noem, and Judge Bloom. In a June 29 letter to Rubio, he apologized and expressed admiration for the secretary of state. To the judge, he compared his online statements to angry expressions made while driving and asked for mercy.
The court records do not establish that Rubio or Noem saw the messages or considered them credible. The filings also do not explain what prompted the posts or confirm a personal connection between Enriquez and the officials.
