Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,
A Massachusetts man was arrested near the U.S. Capitol on Monday, according to court documents indicating that the suspect confessed to carrying weapons and revealed a plot to assassinate high-ranking government officials, including newly confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The suspect, 34-year-old Ryan Michael “Reily” English, was detained outside the Capitol at around 3 p.m. on Jan. 27 after voluntarily surrendering to officers, per an affidavit filed in court the next day.
English told officers he was carrying multiple knives and two Molotov cocktails, with law enforcement later confirming that the incendiary devices were constructed using vodka bottles with cloth wicks soaked in hand sanitizer, according to U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Special Agent Peter Campopiano, who prepared the affidavit.
“Originally, English’s thoughts were to use the small bottles of vodka to start fires and later to wrap them in rags soaked in alcohol, light them, and throw them at Bessent’s feet,” Campopiano wrote, adding that English revealed he would have preferred to use his knives.
English concluded that he would need to kill at least three USCP officers to reach Bessent and recognized the likelihood of being killed by police while attempting to take Bessent’s life, even expressing that he was “content with the possibility of suicide by cop.”
Besides declaring his intention to kill Bessent, the suspect admitted to wanting to assassinate Hegseth, whom he labeled a “Nazi.” He also planned to target House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and burn down the Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank in Washington.
“These actions were specifically to ‘depose’ these political offices and send a message,” Campopiano wrote in the affidavit, noting further that English plotted for about a month before traveling from his Massachusetts home to Washington, D.C., to carry out his plan.
Casting further light on English’s plot was a note police found in his back pocket, with a rambling missive suggesting he was suffering from health issues and was motivated by some type of grievance.
“Judith dear [G]od I am so sorry. You must understand I can feel myself dying slowly b/c of my heart,” reads the note.
“This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters. I love you. This is awful. Im so sorry. I love u. Please stay alive and heal. you can. you are strong enough. [expletive] them for pushing us so far. you dont deserve this. Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying. Please survive.”
English faces charges for unlawfully possessing and transferring a firearm, as well as carrying a weapon or explosive device on Capitol grounds.
The arrest recalls an incident in July 2022 when USCP officers detained a Washington man with two Molotov cocktails near the Capitol. The suspect, 26-year-old Bernard McCutcheon, threw one of the incendiary devices at officers, who were treated for minor injuries.
Also, in the run-up to the November election, then Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was targeted with two failed assassination attempts.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/29/2025 – 09:00
