Online threats are often enough as evidence, especially when paired with the capability. Such is the case for one man in Ohio who posted violent threats against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) as well as MAGA supporters. Now, the young man faces up to 10 years in prison along with federal charges after Homeland Security swarmed his place.
21-year-old Justin Mesael Novoa from Columbus, Ohio, is the man in question. He appeared in federal court on January 22. U.S. Magistrate Judge Chelsey Vascura ordered him held in pretrial detention and charged him with threatening to assault or murder a federal law enforcement officer and making threatening interstate communications. Before the court appearance, Novoa was supposedly caught with weapons, a Palestinian flag, body armor, and other tactical gear during the arrest.
Prosecutors say Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began looking into Novoa in December 2025 after learning of posts on X, formerly Twitter, allegedly made from an account tied to him. Charging documents cite messages from June and November 2025 calling for ICE agents to be harmed and making derogatory references to Trump supporters after he tweeted he can’t wait to harm “these [expletive] ice agents and [expletive] maga maggots.”
Investigators also said Novoa’s X account contained antisemitic content praising a certain fascist German dictator and referencing gas chambers, which makes the MAGA threats somewhat confusing, at least according to information collected by ABC6. When arrested, Novoa quickly surrendered, stating, “Alright, you got me. That was me… [Expletive] so Elon [Musk] does give you access to that.”
Novoa’s Arrest Has Sparked Off an Online Debate
While Novoa has indeed posted some worrying statements online, many have rallied in his defense in the linked X thread and on other social media platforms. Certain critics were calling out the actions of Homeland Security for acting on tweets, “That’s not really a threat….Also, the government cannot be a victim in any court case and threats have to be specific,” claims a commenter.
People who allegedly live in Columbus, Ohio, even had something to say about ICE, “Ah but remember, when ICE makes countless threats of violence and actively [expletive] someone and says some stupid [expletive] during and after, the right parades it around as ‘FAFO.’ I hate this timeline. I really really do,” rants a tired local.
Some commenters have also alluded to how Novoa and people like him could wishfully be acquitted, like in a similar case that occurred in Chicago after another man placed a $10,000 bounty on a Border Patrol leader. Novoa’s case is a little different, however, since the tactical gear the federal agents discovered in his home might have reinforced his X threats.
