A Capitol rioter reportedly accompanied GOP lawmakers on border trip

Capitol riot
(Image credit: Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

A man who took part in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot reportedly accompanied a group of Republican lawmakers on a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border this week.

Anthony Aguero, a conservative YouTuber, live streamed himself visiting the border on Tuesday and was seen with Republican members of Congress, CNN reports. Aguero is an ally of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) who CNN writes was at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack by supporters of former President Donald Trump and "cheered and justified the break-in." He has not been charged.

Aguero reportedly streamed himself speaking with numerous lawmakers while at the border, including Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), also helping translate conversations with migrants and driving one lawmaker in his truck. The Republican Study Committee organized the trip, but CNN says it wasn't clear how Aguero ended up there, and he didn't answer questions about that, though he was reportedly in the area already when the lawmakers got to the border.

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The RSC's deputy communications director told CNN that Aguero's presence was "purely incidental" and that the committee was "unaware of his identity and whereabouts on January 6," adding, "He did not travel with our group to the border." Read more at CNN.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan is a staff writer at The Week. A graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in journalism, he also writes about horror films for Bloody Disgusting and has previously contributed to The Cheat Sheet, Heavy, WhatCulture, and more. He lives in New York City surrounded by Star Wars posters.