How the January 6 Capitol Riots Were an FBI Entrapment Operation

12 min readJan 6, 2024

“The FBI had so many paid informants at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that it lost track of the number and had to perform a later audit to determine exactly how many “Confidential Human Sources” run by different FBI field offices were present that day, a former assistant director of the bureau has told lawmakers.” [11]

FBI infiltration goes both left and right.

In the summer of 2020, the FBI paid their informant Michael Adam Windecker $20,000 to infiltrate left wing activist groups and instigate violence with the purpose of polarizing the activists in the eyes of the public. He would offer to provide firearms to use against police, and even to bomb buildings with the hopes of entrapping activists. [1]

The FBI’s operation was a success, as the George Floyd protests in that summer escalated in violence when protesters, organized by Windecker, began attacking police. The arrests numbered in the 300 range, and there were multiple injured over the course of 4 nights. [1]

But that is nothing new. The FBI has been targeting any type of protest movement for more than half a century. Right or left wing, the FBI will violate your rights and attempt to crush any type of political organizing, just like the “secret police” in any overt dictatorship. [1]

Unfortunately despite the exposure of the FBI’s COINTELPRO in 1971, most Americans still don’t believe how subversive America’s secret police really is. The FBI has infiltrated and destroyed American activist groups for decades thanks to that ignorance. And right-left rivalries have only excused and strengthened these draconian powers. The slippery-slope is real. [1][2][3]

The Feds

According to an FBI agent, the bureau didn’t want surveillance footage released because it would expose undercover agents committing crimes inside the Capitol. When it was eventually released, faces were blurred. [41]

According to the former Capitol Hill Police Chief Steven Sund, the FBI had “at least 18 undercover agents in the crowd”, and the DHS “an estimated 20”. And while that’s all you need to instigate a crowd, these numbers are only of official undercover agents, not counting assets/informants. An official number by either the FBI or DHS has not been released. [11]

A court document mentions “at least 20 FBI and ATF assets”. [45]

The DHS also has around 300 former and current members inside the Oath Keepers, a militia group that participated in the protests. [42]

The Police was complicit in the breaching of the gates, as videos show them opening up barricades and even leading protesters into the Capitol. You can view the videos cited. [43] [44] [46]

Infiltrated Groups

“An FBI agent told the House Judiciary Committee that Deputy Director Paul Abbate suggested that at least 25 FBI confidential human sources, or informants, involved in reporting to the bureau from the Jan. 6, 2021, protest should not be publicly acknowledged.” [12]

A variety of government assets are confirmed to have participated in the protests. Some were already working as infiltrators and informants within conservative organizations such as the Proud Boys.

The DOJ explicitly stated that they wanted the punishment to “ensure, that there was shock and awe”, and to “charge as many people as possible”. Yet there were many unindicted individuals that assisted and did the same things as those who were indicted. Why were they protected? [21]

Oath Keepers

As mentioned before, there are approximately 300 members in this group that are directly connected to the DHS. [42]

The DOJ was able to get a hold of encrypted Signal messages that pointed to the organizing of a “military stack” to breach the Capitol doors, by Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. Some argue that for a few years he was being protected while his underlings were thrown under the bus, but Rhodes was eventually sentenced in 2023. [31][32][33]

“He [President Trump] needs to know from you that you are with him, [and] that if [Trump] does not do it now while he is commander in chief, we’re going to have to do it ourselves later, in a much more desperate, much more bloody war. Let’s get it on now–while he is still the commander in chief.” — Stewart Rhodes [34]

Although I can’t confirm that Rhodes was an informant, Greg McWhirter, the Oath Keeper’s Vice President was actually one. McWhirter testified against Rhodes. [35]

According to indictment documents of Thomas Edward Caldwell (and others), two unnamed and unindicted co-conspirators (UCC) identified as “Person Two” and “Person Three”, assisted the other Oath Keepers in the breach and planned to cross “heavy weapons” through the Potomac River. Person Three is noted in the documents as telling Caldwell, that they “will have the goodies in case things go bad and we need to get heavy”. [18]

Other UCCs were Person 10, 14, 15, 16, 19, and 20 among other Oath Keepers already known to the DOJ as per the documents, merely identified as “individuals”. One of them was even recorded egging on another Oath Keeper to “do your fucking thing”. [18][19][20]

‘Stop the Steal J6’ Zello Channel

The Zello app allows cellphones to use walk-talkie functionality, which helped people to bypass phone signal jamming by police in the Capitol. The channel was in use by patriot and militia movement personalities for communications. [19]

“You are executing citizen’s arrest. Arrest this assembly, we have probable cause for acts of treason, election fraud”, the admin of the channel told those at the Capitol in real time. The DOJ itself said that the admin “directed the group”, yet he is another UCC being protected. [22]

Proud Boys

Enrique Tarrio was a Miami FBI informant who later became the leader of the Pride Boys, effectively turning it into a more violent group. Interestingly Tarrio did not participate in January 6, because he was arrested two days prior at the Capitol for carrying high capacity rifle magazines and burning a Black Lives Matter flag. [23]

He was later sentenced to 22 years. A word of advice to informants: you can be a fall guy. Ironically Tarrio’s defense argued that he was likely ratted out by another informant, Jennylyn “Loh” Salinas. [24][26][27]

During the Proud Boys sedition trial it was revealed that at least 8 FBI informants had infiltrated the group. Another informant, and recurring Alex Jones guest Joseph Biggs was also charged. [25]

According to Tarrio’s lawyer “there’s more C.H.S.s than there are defendants in this case” (CHS are confidential human sources). [26]

However the informant problem with the Proud Boys doesn’t end here. When Tarrios was arrested, another unindicted co-conspirator (UCC) set up the group’s communications. “Rufio is is in charge, cops are the primary threat” the UCC-1 wrote. Two others identified as “Person-1” and “Person-2” were also planning and advocating for insurrection in the days leading up to January 6. [28]

Charles Donahoe was indicted based on similar messages, but UCC-1, and Persons 1 and 2 were not. [19][28]

“UCC-1: I want to see thousands of normies burn that city to ash today

Person-2: Would be epic

UCC-1: The state is the enemy of the people

Person-2: We are the people

UCC-1: Fuck yea

Person-1: God let it happen . . . I will settle with seeing them smash some pigs to dust

Person-2: Fuck these commie traitors

Person-1: It’s going to happen. These normiecons have no adrenaline control . . . They are like a pack of wild dogs

DONOHOE: I’m leaving with a crew of about 15 at 0830 to hoof it to the monument no colors

Person-2: Fuck it let them loose

Person-1: I agree . . .” [29]

The “special group” within the Proud Boys was called the “Ministry of Self-Defense” (MOSD), and took the reigns of the group following Tarrio’s arrest. [29]

The unindicted Person-1 was part of the upper leadership, and made it clear that other unindicted leaders, and also those indicted such as fed informant Briggs, were all in agreement as to their orders to breach the Capitol: [30]

“[Directions] could come from any single person that you see on your screen right now… but the one thing that everyone has to understand, is, yes, you might be getting told things from different people, but it’s all information from the same plan. [Joe] Biggs] is not going to tell you something different than I’m gonna tell you. [Proud Boys Chairman] is not going to tell you something different than Zach [Rehl] is going to tell you. It’s all one operational plan, so don’t get hung up on the delivery. The information is all the same.” [30]

So why were these individuals not indicted, despite the DOJ’s over the top reaction to the event?

Additionally, the infiltrated Oath Keepers were in coordination with Three Percenters militiamen in the Capitol. [54]

Other Individuals

Ray Epps

An elderly man in a Trump hat egging day and night on people to storm the Capitol, but didn’t storm the building himself. A textbook ‘agent provocateur’. For a compilation on him, look at citation. [36]

Like with Stewart Rhodes, Epps was protected for a few years, but now it’s looking like he might end up with a light sentence after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor. [37]

John Sullivan

A left wing agent provocateur that was involved with Black Lives Matter (BLM). One left wing activist put it: “If there’s violence to instigate, he will raise it to another level. But he’s not the one that does it”. As a result he has been ‘banished’ from left-wing protest groups. [40]

During January 6 he infiltrated the protests to instigate violence, and offered to assist protesters with his knife against the police. Interestingly, he also recorded the shooting of Ashli Babbit which some argue was staged (more on that later). [7][8][40]

Megan Paradise

Another agent provocateur similar to Ray Epps. She stole a baseball from Nancy Pelosi’s office. [39]

The first few minutes of the cited video show Megan and other agent provocateurs barking orders at random protesters. [8]

The Original ‘Storm the Capitol’ Plot

FBI “storm the Capitol” maestro Steven D’Antuono

Nearly 5 months before the January 6 “siege”, the FBI infiltrated the Wolverine Watchmen militia group and plotted through its informants to “storm the Capitol building” in Michigan. The plan was to infiltrate a 2nd Amendment rally and rile-up 200 men to break into the Michigan State Capitol, and kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. [14][16]

The FBI ultimately entrapped the Wolverine Watchmen with some being sentenced for 20 years, but others were acquitted. Although only one man connected to this group was involved in January 6, their story is worth mentioning due to its similarity to that specific event, and also the fact that it was cooked up by FBI informants many months before January 6. [13][15][16]

The head of the Michigan FBI field office in this case was Steven D’Antuono, who afterwards was promoted to the Washington DC field office on October 2020. He was likely brought into DC due to having worked on the original “storm the Capitol building” plan, with the FBI office in DC looking to implement it for January 6. [17]

Early Warnings

Despite having informants in major groups inside the Capitol, and even being warned by a few of them, the FBI and DHS refused to take higher security measures. The “security failure” excuse is typical of these agencies to avoid any overt culpability. [47][48]

Intelligence did not care despite Stewart Rhodes telling the Oath Keepers in a public speech and social media before January 6, that there might be a “bloody war”. As a result, not enough police were sent to the Capitol, and they were ill prepared to handle any breaches. But this was by design. [49] [50]

In the following citation, you can see a list of many documented warnings given to the FBI and other Government organizations. Some of them were warnings coming from intelligence agencies themselves. [51]

Political PsyOp

The still unidentified pipe bomb delivery guy.

The media and politicians quickly exaggerated the event by using catch-phrases such as “deadly riot”, “violent insurrection” or “a terror attack”, and continuously lying about protesters killing police officers. This is done to dehumanize and discredit political opponents, but also to scare them into thinking twice about protesting. [5][6][7]

The following are the deaths originally blamed on the “violent insurrection”. But surprisingly almost none of them had any direct connection to violence. For example, there were 4 suicides that somehow are still being attributed to the “deadly riots” by politicians and their media lapdogs.

Kevin Greeson (protester) — Died of cardiovascular disease during the protests. [9]

Benjamin Phillips (protester) — Died of cardiovascular disease, but the Philadelphia Inquirer states that “There’s no indication Philips himself participated in the raid on the Capitol”. [9]

Rosanne Boyland (protester) — Died of accidental overdose from an ADD drug. The NYT originally reported that she died “in a crush of fellow rioters during their attempt to fight through a police line”, but this was fake news which prosecutors actually used to accuse several protesters. [9]

Brian Sicknick (police) — Died of two strokes 8 hours later. The NYT had reported he died from “blunt force trauma”, but this was a lie. Later it was claimed that it was from an allergic reaction to chemicals thrown or sprayed at him and others. But this was also a lie as per the medical examiner. [9][10]

Howard Liebengood (police) — Died of suicide 3 days later. [9]

Jeffrey Smith (police) — Died of suicide around a week later. His family argues head injuries from the riot caused him to become suicidal. [9]

Kyle DeFretag (police) — Died of suicide. He was not involved during the protests, but was placed to enforce a curfew afterwards. [9]

Gunther Hashida (police) — Died of suicide, not related to the protests. [9]

Ashli Babbitt (protester) — Shot by security on video. However some dispute this may have been staged, as not only did police evidence go missing, but the shooter never filed a police report. [7] [9] Others have attempted to dissect the video, but you can come to your own conclusions on that by watching the cited link. [8]

And let’s not forget about the mystery pipe bombs planted outside the Democratic and Republican National Headquarters, a day before January 6. The police were able to get the suspect’s license plate numbers, but the FBI has been “investigating” this for almost 3 years, refusing to share much information. [52]