A Southern California man is facing federal charges after allegedly threatening “bloodshed” at Disneyland during Vice President JD Vance and his family’s visit to the park last summer.
According to a federal complaint first reported by Court Watch on Friday, 22-year-old Marco Antonio Aguayo left several alarming comments on Disney’s Instagram page on the evening of July 12, 2025, the same day as Vance’s highly publicized trip to the Happiest Place on Earth.
The first comment cited in the complaint read, “Pipe bombs have been placed in preparation for J.D. Vance’s arrival.”
That threat was followed by another that said, “It’s time for us to rise up and you will be a witness to it” and was followed by a third warning, “Good luck finding all of them on time there will be bloodshed tonight and we will bathe in the blood of corrupt politicians.”
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Law enforcement was able to identify Aguayo with the cooperation of Instagram’s parent company, Meta, and used California Department of Motor Vehicle records in tandem with information from internet provider T-Mobile USA to locate his home address.
According to an affidavit from a Secret Service officer included in the complaint, Aguayo initially denied knowledge of the threatening posts and claimed his accounts had been “hacked.”
Upon further questioning, Aguayo admitted responsibility for the comments but maintained the statements were a “joke to provoke attention and laughter.”
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Aguayo was arrested on Jan. 16 and charged with threat against president and successors to the presidency, per a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. If convicted, he would face up to five years in federal prison.
Attorney General Pam Bondi called the case “a horrific reminder of the dangers public officials face from deranged criminals who would do them harm” and promised “swift justice” in a statement included in the press release.
Vance and family’s trip to Disneyland inspired several protests near the park and outside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, where the family was rumored to be staying.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) press team also mocked the former Ohio senator for vacationing in the Golden State, which is frequently wrapped up in right-wing criticism of Democratic leadership.
“Tired: trashing California for political purposes,” the X account for Newsom’s press office posted. “Wired: visiting & vacationing in California more than your home state this year.”