Federal agents picked up a Staten Island man on Monday morning who allegedly participated in the Jan. 6 attack upon the U.S. Capitol by an angry mob of Trump supporters.
Nicolas Moncada, 20, was picked up by FBI agents on Jan. 18. The FBI has not yet provided specific details as to the nature of Moncada’s alleged role in the failed coup attempt.
According to federal law enforcement agents, Moncada — a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) — live-streamed his participation in the attack and posted it on Instagram and Twitter. On or about Jan. 8, members of the FIT Office of Public Safety recognized Moncada from several screen shots of the livestream which they had reviewed, then contacted the FBI.
Federal agents then executed search warrants of Moncada’s social media accounts and recovered the screenshots and observed video of Moncada on the steps of the U.S. Capitol during the attack. The video also showed blood splattered upon the stairwell.
Moncada also posted to Instagram video taken from inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6 showing attackers screaming at law enforcement officers. It was later deleted.
In the comments accompanied with the video, Moncada responded to one user that “we were being shot at with pellets and tear gas bombs.”
On his Twitter account profile, Moncada describes himself as a purported “indie journalist, commentator and liberty loving liberal libertarian.”
“Nicolas Moncada is now in custody for his role in assaulting the U.S. Capitol while our representatives were inside performing their Constitutional duties,” said acting Director in Charge of the FBI New York office William Sweeney. “The FBI continues to perform ours — finding all participants and holding them fully accountable for their actions. For those still thinking of employing violence to interfere with our Nation’s laws and institutions, our message is simple – don’t do it. Making the wrong decision will last a lifetime.”
Moncada is the third New York City resident arrested in connection with the U.S. Capitol attack. He is due to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on Jan. 19.
Last week, the son of a Brooklyn judge was picked up by federal agents for parading through the Capitol with a police officer’s stolen shield, and a Queens man was arrested with a thousand rounds of ammunition in his home after making online threats to send an armed caravan to DC following the Jan. 6 coup attempt.
This is a developing story; check with amNY.com later for updates.
