Proud Boys leader worked as informant for FBI, local police in fraud case

Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio claims to have no recollection of his involvement with undercover cases

Jan 27, 2021

The leader of the far-right, extremist group Proud Boys is being called a snitch on social media after it was revealed that he worked undercover to assist Miami police and the FBI.

Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, 36, first began tipping off law enforcement in 2013 about multiple drug and illegal gambling investigations, according to a 2014 Miami federal court transcript, The Washington Post reports. Tarrio is said to have turned informant after he was arrested in 2013 on federal fraud charges related to a diabetic test strips scheme. His past connection to the FBI and local police was revealed by the former prosecutor in his case.

“From day one, he was the one who wanted to talk to law enforcement, wanted to clear his name, wanted to straighten this out so that he could move on with his life,” a federal prosecutor told the judge at the time, according to the report.

In exchange for a reduced sentence, Tarrio allegedly “cooperated in a significant way” in helping federal law enforcement prosecute 13 people on charges of drugs and human smuggling.

In an interview with Reuters, Tarrio claimed to have no recollection of his involvement with undercover cases.

“I don’t know any of this,” he said when asked about the transcript. “I don’t recall any of this.”

Tarrio was conveniently arrested in Washington D.C. two days before the domestic terrorists stormed the U.S. Capitol, for vandalizing a Black Lives Matter sign at a historic Black church. The Feds reportedly alerted local police that Tarrio was in town.

theGRIO previously reported, on Dec. 12, the Proud Boys took part in a protest over Donald Trump losing the 2020 presidential election. Four churches were vandalized, including Metropolitan AME Church and Asbury United Methodist Church. Tarrio admitted to burning a Black Lives Matter banner that belonged to Asbury United Methodist because he claimed BLM, “has terrorized the citizens of this country,” per The Washington Post.

As a result of the attack on the churches, the male-only Proud Boys organization is being sued for damaging the BLM sign at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. The suit also includes the organization’s leader.

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