HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The FBI has been warning for years about an increase in threats against elected officials.
The FBI Houston Field Office informed 13 Investigates that the agency is “constantly intercepting threats” against candidates and politicians.
“Unfortunately, these threats against elected officials are not uncommon,” said FBI Houston Spokesperson Christina Garza.
Just last month, 24-year-old Isaac Ambe Nformangum from Richmond was convicted for threatening Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Federal prosecutors revealed that Nformangum called the Senator’s Houston office and left a voicemail stating, “You will be found and killed.”
In another case last month, 61-year-old Brian Michael Gaherty from Houston was sentenced to 33 months in prison for threatening California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters. According to the US Attorney’s Office, Gaherty left the congresswoman four vulgar voicemails, one of which included a threat to “put a cap” between her eyes.
The alarming threats are not limited to men.
Earlier this year, Tiffani Shea Gish from Houston was sentenced to 37 months in prison for threatening to have US District Judge Aileen Cannon assassinated in front of her family. Cannon is overseeing former President Donald Trump’s legal case involving classified documents.
On Sunday, the FBI issued a release stating, “It has become a bigger responsibility in recent years as the volume of certain threats increases. As a country and organization, we have seen an increase in threats of violence targeting government officials and institutions, houses of worship, schools, and medical facilities, just to name a few.”
