A Tucson man charged with threatening to bomb the White House allegedly sent an earlier message threatening an anthrax attack in Tucson. The message also threatened a bombing at a federal building, according to reporting on the federal criminal complaint.
Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, was arrested on Oct. 7 and charged with making an interstate threat to injure. He made his initial appearance in federal court on Oct. 8.
The investigation began after Tucson television station KGUN9 received an email on Sept. 23 threatening an imminent attack against the White House and other Washington, D.C., locations. The station said it forwarded the message to authorities. The FBI confirmed to KGUN9 that its referral prompted the investigation.
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, of Tucson, was arrested yesterday and charged by criminal complaint with Making an Interstate Threat to Injure. Hicks is accused of sending an email on Sep.23, 2026, threatening to commit mass bombings at the White House and around the…
The email claimed an attack would occur within 12 hours and that bombs were positioned around Washington.
“Be advised. In 12 hours, there’ll be a strike against the White House. There’s bombs all around Washington D.C. This is not a joke. Be advised. You Americans will pay. Allah, to Allah,” a portion of the email read.
Hicks claimed he had loaned his phone to a homeless person when the email was sent.
Federal investigators identified Hicks as the alleged sender and located additional unsent drafts in the same email account, prosecutors said. Those drafts, also dated Sept. 23, were addressed to other news organizations and contained similar threats against the White House and surrounding areas.
The investigation also uncovered a Sept. 2 text message allegedly sent by Hicks to a Tucson-area number. The message threatened an anthrax attack against Tucson, claimed possession of C4 for a federal-building bombing and specified Sept. 11, 2026, at 5 a.m.
An announcement from the Justice Department did not report the discovery of explosives or anthrax.
Investigators also identified earlier threats Hicks allegedly made while living in New York against the Wayne County Department of Social Services. Authorities there reportedly visited his address and warned that further threatening contact could result in charges. The account did not identify a conviction stemming from those earlier incidents.
“We must take threats of violence like this one seriously,” U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said.
“I am grateful to our local news station for referring this threat to law enforcement, and to the FBI for addressing the situation quickly, professionally, and with the level of commitment it required.”
The FBI is conducting the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. Federal prosecutors in Tucson are handling the case.
The Justice Department identified the prosecution as part of the National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, describing it as a White House-directed interagency effort addressing political violence while protecting First Amendment rights. The department said Joint Task Force Vanguard leads the initiative.
Tucson Man Criminally Charged for Bomb Threat Against the White House
Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, of Tucson, was arrested yesterday and charged by criminal complaint with Making an Interstate Threat to Injure. Hicks is accused of sending an email on Sep.23, 2026, threatening to… pic.twitter.com/peLomtfTWX
“The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to defend the United States against criminal and national security threats and will investigate them to the fullest extent of the law. We appreciate the community partner who reported the threat to law enforcement,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day. “Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the American people.”
A progressive advocacy group plans to host election crisis training in Arizona less than a week before Election Day.
Interfaith Alliance planned stops for Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson in its “The Vote Is Sacred Tour,” a series of events across Arizona and 14 other states slated to begin the first week of October.
The Arizona Republican Party’s Latino group brought attention to the organization’s planned activities, alleging that “partisan operatives” were gathering “to rehearse election disruption.”
EXPOSING THE ELECTION MANIPULATION GAMES!
While hardworking Arizonans prepare to make their voices heard, partisan operatives are setting the stage in Phoenix to rehearse election disruption. The voters deserve transparency, order, and honest elections.
The Phoenix event is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27; the Tucson event is scheduled for Thursday, October 29; and the Flagstaff event is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3.
The organization says the events are intended to provide voter education on ballot items, voter registration, and funds to local activists, in addition to providing a “trained, peaceful presence at the polls and crisis-ready communities.”
An election crisis scenario planning toolkit provided by the organization, in partnership with Protect Democracy, floated six sample scenarios occurring during early voting and on Election Day concerning ICE operations, President Donald Trump invoking the Insurrection Act or declaring premature victory in races, right-wing claims of foreign interference and unverified ballots, and federal takeover of election operations.
One scenario proposes that in mid-October a posted video of a faith leader being violently arrested sparks nationwide protests, resulting in the Trump administration federalizing the National Guard and filing federal criminal charges against pro-migrant organization leaders partnering in election advocacy work.
Interfaith Alliance reported that it selected the location for each of the trainings based on the “2026 Election Risk Heat Map” by the Voting Rights Lab. Arizona was ranked as 87 out of 100 for election risk, with Maricopa County ranked as 100 out of 100 for election risk and Pima County ranked as 90 out of 100 for election risk.
The risk index reportedly measures counties for “close contests, bad actors, and systemic weaknesses.”
The organization previously held a similar tour during the 2024 election across six states.
Interfaith Alliance scheduled a kick-off of this latest tour with a No Kings-affiliated event on Wednesday.
Several key members of the organization have held prominent roles within Democratic presidential administrations and the party.
Maggie Siddiqi, the senior advisor for the organization, held a directorship within the Biden administration’s Education Department. Siddiqi advised former Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on religious freedom issues and led efforts to address antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Derrick Harkins, board member, was the Democratic National Committee’s director of interfaith outreach, a faith leader for former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, and faith leader for the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Jake Siewert, board member, was the White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton and counselor to the secretary of the treasury under Obama.
Interfaith Alliance began with seed funding from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 1994.
Since then, its foundation has grown to pull in millions every year: around $1 to $3 million annually since 2011. Its schedule of contributors isn’t public, though some contributors have named the nonprofit in their tax filings, including the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, which gave $1 million in 2024; Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc., which gave $300,000 in 2023; the Rockefeller Family Foundation, which gave $170,000 between 2022 and 2024; and the William B. Wiener Jr. Foundation, which gave $80,000 between 2018 and 2019.
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Crime in Tucson has reached an alarming level, but federal prosecutors are trying to keep up with lock ups.
A Tucson gang member was sentenced to nearly 28 years in federal prison following over a decade-long investigation into a criminal street gang tied to murders, drug trafficking, firearms, and witness intimidation in southern Arizona.
David Kapone Williams, 36, of Tucson, was sentenced on September 16 by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 335 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Williams previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a pattern of racketeering activity.
Williams admitted to being a member of the Western Hills Bloods (WHB), a criminal street gang that operated in Tucson.
According to federal prosecutors, the Western Hills Bloods engaged in a pattern of criminal activity that included narcotics trafficking, firearms possession, witness intimidation, and violent crimes, including murder.
Court records tied Williams and other gang members to deadly violence in Tucson dating back more than a decade.
On May 15, 2015, Williams and other Western Hills Bloods members murdered a rival gang member in the parking lot of a La Quinta hotel near Tucson International Airport, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Members of the gang also participated in an October 2014 homicide near Fremont Street in Tucson.
Williams also trafficked narcotics in Tucson and across the United States on behalf of the gang.
“With Williams’ sentence, this long-fought battle to bring members of the violent Western Hills Bloods to justice finally comes to an end,” stated U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “But that doesn’t mean we are anywhere close to ending our mission to bring safety to Tucson’s streets.”
Courchaine said the case should serve as a warning to other gangs that federal prosecutors and law enforcement will continue pursuing them.
“The persistence of law enforcement and prosecutors in this case should stand as a warning to other gangs and violent offenders out there – we won’t tire in seeking justice,” he added.
TUCSON, Ariz. – David Kapone Williams, 36, of Tucson, was sentenced last Wednesday to 335 months in prison for a RICO conspiracy. Williams, a member of the Western Hills Bloods murdered a rival gang member in the parking lot of the La Quinta Hotel near the Tucson International… pic.twitter.com/fymi0at4jd
Williams was the latest of several Western Hills Bloods defendants to receive lengthy federal prison sentences.
Marcell Demetrius Gray was sentenced in May to 335 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in a pattern of racketeering activity.
Michael Anthony Williams received a 262-month sentence in March 2025, while Shawmaine Eustace Ardell Moore, Samuel Lee Berrelle Rakestraw III, and Jermaine Lamar Maxwell each received 240-month prison sentences for racketeering conspiracy.
Two other defendants were convicted on firearms and narcotics charges.
Cliffton Martinez was sentenced to 78 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, while Labarr Martinez received 50 months for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Federal authorities described the prosecution as the culmination of more than a decade of efforts to hold members of the Tucson gang accountable for violence and intimidation.
“This significant sentence is part of an over ten-year effort to hold members of the Western Hills Bloods, a violent criminal street gang, accountable for their acts of violence and intimidation which they inflicted on the citizens of Tucson,” said A.J. Gibes, Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Phoenix Field Division.
“This years-long effort by ATF and our partners with the Tucson Police Department and Arizona Department of Public Safety is indicative of our unwavering commitment to protecting the public from violent armed offenders and armed drug traffickers,” Gibes added.
The investigation was conducted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative that coordinates federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts to address violent crime.
The program allows U.S. Attorney’s offices to tailor enforcement efforts to local violent crime and public safety concerns, with an emphasis on federal prosecution of violent offenders, coordination among law enforcement agencies, and deterrence.
Federal authorities said that while Williams’ sentencing brings the Western Hills Bloods prosecution to an end, efforts targeting gangs and violent offenders in Tucson will continue.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Two men were arrested this week for allegedly drugging, kidnapping, and sexually assaulting a woman earlier this summer.
Zabdiel “Zab” Kofi Echie, 24, and Joaquin Corona Borboa, 21, face sexual assault and kidnapping charges. The two are alleged to have conspired to commit the crimes.
Echie is a Border Patrol agent in training who had served until recently in the Marine Corps. Public records indicate that Echie lived in the Virginia/Washington, D.C. area throughout his high school years, and in the Tucson area for at least the last several months.
Borboa is a college student on hiatus at the University of Arizona (U of A) who works as a handyman with his uncle and is an aspiring fitness influencer according to his social media activity. Unlike Echie, Borboa’s attorney described him as a lifelong Tucson resident dating back to four months old. Borboa’s attorney mentioned that his parents were present for the initial hearing and willing to house him should the judge permit him to be released on his own recognizance. The judge did not.
Court documents revealed that the alleged victim, an 18-year-old woman, told investigators that Echie and Borboa gave her alcohol and then, to her surprise, put an “unknown white powdery substance” in her mouth while driving her from Tucson to Echie’s home in Sahuarita on June 19.
The victim alleged that she became disoriented during the 30-minute drive, and further alleged that Borboa digitally penetrated her.
Once at Echie’s home, the victim claimed that she passed out and later awoke to Echie having sex with her in his bed. She alleged that she attempted to stop Echie but that he held her down with Borboa’s help.
The victim also alleged that Borboa forced her to perform oral sex on him before taking her to his apartment and having sex with her there for several more hours.
The interim complaint reported that Echie’s cell phone contained a short video of the sexual encounter. Investigators noted that the victim was crying on the video, and that Borboa was visibly holding her down as Echie had sex with her.
Investigators also discovered text messages between Echie and Borboa that allegedly reflect they planned the sexual assault.
The judge who oversaw Borboa’s initial court appearance called the data discovered on Borboa’s phone “concerning.”
Echie posted his $150,000 bond; Borboa is being held at the Pima County Adult Detention Complex on a $350,000 bond.
Neither Echie nor Borboa have any criminal history. Attorneys for both men negotiated for lowered bonds, arguing that neither presented a threat to the community based on their lack of criminal history.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told 13 News that Echie was an off-duty employee and confirmed that its Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating Echie over the allegations.
“CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission, and the overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe,” stated CBP.
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A shooting outside a Tucson gay bar earlier this week by a Muslim immigrant took the lives of two men, one of whom happened to be a sympathizer to the Palestinian cause.
The victims were Cameron Davis Capara, 33, and Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, 42.
Capara was an active Antifa activist who worked with the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance and regularly protested against immigration enforcement, the pro-life movement, and President Donald Trump.
Although Siqueiros had a smaller online presence, he did share posts that indicated contempt for those to the right of the political spectrum, including one AI-generated video depicting President Donald Trump being knocked out from a punch to the head.
The shooter, Ousman Ceesay, 44, had moved recently to Tucson. Ceesay shot Siqueiros and Capara outside the Venture-N, a gay bar, at approximately 12:30 a.m. on August 31 prior to turning the gun on himself.
Recovered among Ceesay’s possessions was a list of LGBTQIA+ establishments.
Ceesay was a naturalized citizen and practicing Muslim who immigrated from West Africa to Oklahoma on a student visa approximately 16 years ago.
Democratic and Republican leaders have divergent viewpoints about the nature of the attack.
Arizona’s top Democrats have referred to the shooting as a hate crime rooted in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments.
Reps. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07), Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04), and Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03) conducted a moment of silence for the shooting victims alongside the Congressional Equality Caucus on the House floor on Wednesday.
Tonight I joined @Rep_Grijalva, the AZ delegation, and the @EqualityCaucus for a moment of silence on the House Floor for Vincent Siqueiros and Cameron Capara, who were murdered at a Tucson bar this week in a hate crime targeting the LGBTQ+ community. pic.twitter.com/JiSkbz8V5N
Grijalva, who organized the observance, preceded the moment of silence with a House floor speech advocating for stricter gun control and railing against Republican-led laws impacting the LGBTQ+ community.
“This type of targeted violence does not happen in a vacuum. It is cultivated by anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, laws, policies, and executive orders. And it is the direct consequence of this body’s failure to act on gun violence. Cameron and Vincent should still be alive today,” said Grijalva. “Mr. Speaker, how many more parents need to bury their children before Congress takes action to address the gun violence epidemic? How many more people need to die before this chamber stands up to the gun lobby? Our communities are sick and tired of hearing our ‘thoughts and prayers.’ We should be acting today to pass commonsense gun safety laws and to combat hate and violence targeting LGBTQ+ folks.”
Although investigators have not tied Ceesay’s attack to his religion, some Arizona Republicans are arguing the attack was more than a hate crime — they allege it was motivated by radical Islamic beliefs.
State Rep. John Gillette (R-LD30) said it was “radical Islamic terrorism” that occurred earlier this week, and that Democratic policies were to blame.
“The democrats invited these terrorists to the US that we were sent to their country to kill, so we would not have these attacks,” said Gillette. “You invited, support and have Partnerships with the enemy. Start supporting Americans! Not terrorism!”
Disgusting, you mourn the death of a person that is gay and call it equality. You are bunch of pandering idiots.
We mourn the death of an American citizen, killed by radical Islamic terrorism on our own soil.
The democrats invited these terrorists to the US that we were sent…
— Rep. John Gillette AZ House LD30 (@AzRepGillette) September 3, 2026
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