A Southern California man is facing a federal charge after authorities say he threatened to kill Vice President JD Vance in Instagram comments posted the same day Vance and his family visited Disneyland.
Marco Antonio Aguayo, 22, of Anaheim is charged with one count of making threats against the president and successors to the presidency, according to an 11-page criminal complaint filed in the Central District of California.
Prosecutors allege Aguayo posted a series of public threats on Disney’s official Instagram page on July 12, 2025. One comment, cited in the complaint, stated: “Pipe bombs have been placed in preparation for J.D. Vance’s arrival.”
In another post, Aguayo allegedly wrote: “Good luck finding all of them on time there will be bloodshed tonight and we will bathe in the blood of corrupt politicians.”
A third comment, authorities say, added: “It’s time for us to rise up and you will be a witness to it.”
Investigators say they traced the account behind the comments by reviewing subscriber data, linking the username to an email address and then to phone numbers associated with Aguayo.
Law enforcement moved quickly. The complaint says that later that night—just before 11 p.m.—federal and local officers arrived at Aguayo’s home, where his sister answered the door. Aguayo later agreed to speak with investigators outside.
“Aguayo initially denied knowledge of the posts and claimed that his account had been hacked; however, Aguayo ultimately admitted to making the threatening statements,” the complaint states. “He claimed that he intended it merely as a joke to provoke attention and laughter. Aguayo stated he contemplated deleting the post but ultimately forgot to do so.”
Authorities say Aguayo then consented to a search of his cellphone. A U.S. Secret Service agent wrote in the complaint: “I reviewed the Instagram application on this mobile device, which showed Aguayo logged into four different Instagram accounts.”
One of those accounts, investigators allege, was the same handle that posted the threats. The agent also reported: “I also observed the three threatening Instagram posts on this device.” Aguayo allegedly told investigators his only active social media platforms are Instagram and WhatsApp.
The criminal complaint was filed Wednesday. It is not clear whether Aguayo is in custody as of this writing.
