A 22-year-old man from California is facing serious federal charges after allegedly posting chilling threats of mass violence against US Vice President JD Vance during a family visit to Disneyland last summer.
Threats Posted on Disney's Social Media
Federal prosecutors allege that Marco Antonio Aguayo, from Anaheim, publicly posted a series of menacing messages on the Walt Disney Company's official Instagram page on 12 July 2025. The threats coincided with the arrival of Vice President Vance and his family at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.
Using an account with the handle @jesses_andamy, Aguayo is accused of writing: 'Pipe bombs have been placed in preparation for J.D. Vance's arrival.' Minutes later, a follow-up post allegedly stated: 'It's time for us to rise up and you will be a witness to it.'
Secret Service Emergency at Family Outing
The posts, which appeared around 6:14pm shortly after Air Force Two landed, transformed a closely guarded private family outing into a full-scale Secret Service emergency. The final message in the thread was described by prosecutors as overtly violent, reading: 'Good luck finding all of them on time there will be bloodshed tonight and we will bathe in the blood of corrupt politicians.'
Authorities say the threats were made amid heightened protests in Anaheim related to immigration enforcement actions. The vice president's trip was not on his public schedule and only became widely known after his arrival.
Investigation and Arrest
Agents from the United States Secret Service, working with Anaheim police, located Aguayo at his apartment later that same evening for questioning. Initially, Aguayo denied posting the threats and suggested his account may have been hacked.
However, investigators say he later changed his story, admitting he authored the messages himself. According to a federal affidavit, Aguayo claimed he 'intended it merely as a joke to provoke attention and laughter' and said he meant to delete the posts but forgot.
After obtaining a search warrant, agents seized and reviewed his phone and a shared laptop, identifying four Instagram accounts associated with him. The threatening posts were removed and the account appears to have been deleted.
Federal Charges and Official Response
Marco Antonio Aguayo has now been charged with a single federal felony count of making threats against the president and successors to the presidency. The charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to five years.
Bill Essayli, the First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, issued a stern warning: 'We will not tolerate criminal threats against public officials. We are grateful the Vice President and his family remained safe during their visit. Let this case be a warning to anyone who thinks they can make anonymous online threats. We will find you and bring you to justice.'
Authorities confirmed the threat did not disrupt Disneyland operations and no explosives were found. Vance later publicly acknowledged the visit on a podcast, apologising to fellow parkgoers for any longer lines caused by his security detail, which included around 50 Secret Service agents.
