Former Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio Returns to Miami Following Presidential Pardon
MIAMI — Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right Proud Boys, returned home to Miami on Wednesday after being released from federal prison following a presidential pardon from former President Donald Trump. Tarrio was one of over 1,500 individuals pardoned, who were involved in the events surrounding the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Tarrio, 42, was met by family, friends, and a swarm of reporters upon his arrival at Miami International Airport. Wearing a black “Make America Great Again” baseball cap, he briefly addressed the media, saying, “I think I love my family,” before being escorted away in a black SUV.
Earlier in the day, prior to boarding his flight, Tarrio spoke to reporters at Dallas Love Field Airport, describing his conviction on seditious conspiracy charges as a “miscarriage of justice.”
“If we would have gotten a fair trial, I wouldn’t have been in a position where I needed a pardon,” Tarrio told CBS News.
In May 2023, Tarrio was found guilty alongside three other Proud Boys members of seditious conspiracy for their roles in the January 6 Capitol attack. Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison, the longest sentence handed down in connection with the riot, despite not being present at the Capitol during the attack.
Tarrio was arrested in Washington, D.C., in January 2021 and later convicted for organizing and planning attacks on the Capitol with other Proud Boys members to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.
In his letter to Trump, Tarrio’s attorney, Nayib Hassan, described him as a “proud American” who believes in conservative values, contrasting how he was portrayed during the trial. Hassan emphasized that Tarrio was not the extremist he was made out to be.
Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump made pardoning the rioters a key promise, referring to them as “hostages” and calling for their release. As part of his first actions in office, Trump commuted the sentences of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers convicted of seditious conspiracy, later issuing full and unconditional pardons for individuals associated with the Capitol events.
Tarrio was released late Monday from FCI Pollock, a medium-security federal prison in Louisiana, after receiving his pardon. The reason for the two-day delay in his return to Miami remains unclear.