Cowboys for Trump Founder, Who Vowed to Return With Guns to Capitol for Inauguration, Arrested by FBI

Couy Griffin, a Capitol riot extremist and — it turns out — New Mexico county official, was arrested by the FBI on Sunday, according to a report by CBS News. Griffin vowed publicly to return to the U.S. Capitol on Inauguration Day with guns in hand, and “plant our flag” on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk. Griffin is known for founding the group “Cowboys for Trump.”

The FBI arrested Griffin and charged him with illegally entering the U.S. Capitol building. He worked as the Otero County Commissioner in New Mexico and has been an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, including some of his most extreme rhetoric and conspiracy theories. However, Griffin reportedly told investigators he was just “caught up” in the crowd on the day of the riot, and pulled into the building by the tide of bodies. His own social media posts say otherwise.

Griffin posted a video on Facebook showing himself in restricted areas of the Capitol, according to the FBI’s affidavit. He also spoke about the violence in an official meeting of the Otero County Board of Commissioners on Thursday.

“I’m gonna be there on Jan. 20… and I’m gonna take a stand for our country and for our freedoms,” he reportedly said. “I’m gonna leave either tonight or tomorrow. I’ve got a .357 Henry Big Boy rifle lever action that I’ve got in the trunk of my car and I’ve got a .357 single action revolver, the Colt Ruger Vaquero that I’ll have underneath the front seat on my right side and I will embrace my Second Amendment.”

“I will keep my right to bear arms. My vehicle is an extension of my home in regard to the Constitution law, and I have a right to have those firearms in my car,” he continued.

Footage obtained by Inside Edition shows Griffin speaking on the Capitol steps during the riot, again promising more violence to come. He parroted disproven conspiracy theories about the election, saying: “We’re not going anywhere. We’re not going to take for no for an answer. We’re not going to get our election stolen from us from China.”

While Griffin’s arrest is a relief for many Americans following the attack on the Capitol building, others question why it took so long. The Capitol Police and other D.C. law enforcement branches are under investigation for allowing the rioters to get so far, and then to escape — many of them carrying stolen computers or papers.