Texas man, 42, is charged over racist video in which he appeared with an assault rifle threatening to kill Black Lives Matter protesters and saying his ‘dream’ was to kill at least 200 people
- Manuel Flores, 42, was arrested in Dallas Monday and charged with posting a threatening communication over the Internet
- He allegedly uploaded a racially charged video to YouTube Saturday entitled ‘N***** Lives Matter’
- In the video, Flores sat with an assault rifle and threatened to kill Black Lives Matter protesters in Dallas on Monday
- He said it is his ‘dream’ to ‘take out at least 200 [N******]’
- Flores claims he was drunk and does not remember what he said in the video
- He faces up to five years in jail if convicted
A Texas man faces up to five years in federal prison after he was charged with allegedly threatening to kill Black Lives Matter protesters in a racist video posted online.
Manuel Flores, 42, was arrested by FBI agents in the Dallas area on Monday after they were alerted to the video in which he said it is his ‘dream’ to kill 200 black people as he brandished an assault rifle.
Flores, a truck driver, said that he would be driving through Dallas Monday with ‘500 rounds of something’ and dared protesters to ‘stop me’ in the video entitled ‘N***** Lives Matter’.
He now faces a federal charge of posting a threatening communication over the Internet
Flores claimed that he was drunk when he posted the now-deleted video and did not remember what he said.
In the video, Flores had dared Black Lives Matter protesters to stop him as he drove through Dallas with a rifle. Demonstrators march past the Earle Cabell Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse during a peaceful protest against police brutality and racism on June 6 in Dallas
The video was posted from this YouTube account which Flores told FBI agents he owned
U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Luis M. Quesada, El Paso Division, announced the charges in a statement Wednesday.
‘FBI agents arrested Flores in Dallas based on a federal criminal complaint filed in El Paso, the statement said.
‘According to the criminal complaint, Flores recorded and uploaded a video to YouTube entitled “N***** Lives Matter” in which he made threatening comments to Black Lives Matter protesters.
‘During the video, the defendant is seated visible only from the knees down with what appears to be an AR-15 style rifle resting on the defendant’s feet,’ it continued.
‘Flores stated that he would be travelling on I-20 Eastbound through Dallas on Monday while daring individuals representing Black Lives Matter to “stop him”.
‘Flores further stated that “my dream is at least take out at least 200 [N******]”.’
The FBI tracked Flores down after they received an online tip to the National Threat Operations Center regarding an alleged threat to shoot protesters in the Dallas area.
The video had been posted Saturday from a YouTube account named ‘Don’t CA My TX’. The caption for the account reads ‘N******!!! I’m proud of the n****** dead’.
Agents called Flores early Monday morning and then traveled to meet him. He was arrested without incident and agents said he appeared remorseful about posting the video.
He admitted to agents that the ‘Don’t CA my TX’ YouTube account was his and that he had just returned to El Paso from a delivery in Arizona early on Saturday morning before posting the video.
Flores told FBI agents that ‘loves America and is upset about what is going on right now’ after they arrested him for posting a video threatening protesters. Pictured protesters in Dallas
Flores added that he had drank eight or nine IPA style beers and didn’t remember what the video said, according to the El Paso Times.
‘Flores stated that he loves America and is upset about what is going on right now. However, Flores has no intention of harming anyone but would defend himself if he had to. Flores was remorseful and apologetic to interviewing FBI Special Agents,’ the criminal complaint stated.
Agents also noted that Flores spoke with a southern drawl in the video that he did not present when they spoke to him.
He logged into his YouTube account in front of agents at his home and deleted the video.
The FBI found the AR-15 style rifle and ammunition in his bedroom when they searched the property.
U.S. Attorney John F. Bash announced the charge brought against Flores on Wednesday
‘Our office will treat any threats of violence against protesters extremely seriously,’ Bash said on Twitter, adding that Flores is still considered innocent at this stage of the investigation.
Flores is currently in the custody of U.S. marshals as he awaits transfer to El Paso.
He told agents that he had a past misdemeanor charge out of California for discharging a firearm, but he claimed it occurred when he had been drinking and cleaning his shotgun and the weapon was accidentally fired.
He is now charged with one count of transmitting threatening communications and faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted.
His preliminary hearing before a U.S. Magistrate in El Paso has yet to be scheduled.
The FBI continues to investigate the charge.