A 22-year-old California man allegedly sent chilling threats of mass violence against JD Vance when the vice president visited Disneyland with his family last summer.
The suspect, Marco Antonio Aguayo, allegedly posted messages that claimed pipe bombs had been planted at the theme park in Anaheim, California, and promised ‘bloodshed’ as law enforcement scrambled to track him down.
Aguayo, has now been charged with making threats against the president and successors to the presidency, a federal felony that carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
Prosecutors say the threats were posted publicly on social media the very day Vance and his family were inside the Disneyland Resort, transforming what had been a closely guarded family outing into a Secret Service emergency.
According to a federal affidavit, Aguayo posted a series of comments on the Walt Disney Company’s Instagram page on July 12, 2025, after news spread that the vice president had arrived in Anaheim.
Using the account handle @jesses_andamy, Aguayo allegedly wrote: ‘Pipe bombs have been placed in preparation for J.D. Vance’s arrival.’
Minutes later he is alleged to have made a follow-up post: ‘It’s time for us to rise up and you will be a witness to it.’
The thread ended with a message that prosecutors described as overtly violent and menacing.
A 22-year-old Anaheim man has been charged with making threats against Vice President JD Vance during a visit to Disneyland with his family last summer
Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha are all smiles as they enjoy the sights and sounds of Disneyland with their family in Anaheim last July. Federal prosecutors allege the threats against Vance were posted on Disney’s Instagram page
‘Good luck finding all of them on time there will be bloodshed tonight and we will bathe in the blood of corrupt politicians,’ Aguayo is alleged to have posted.
The posts appeared around 6:14pm shortly after Air Force Two landed at John Wayne Airport and amid heightened protests in Anaheim tied to immigration enforcement actions in California.
Federal court records show that agents from the US Secret Service, along with Anaheim police, located Aguayo later that same day and went to his apartment to question him.
At first, Aguayo denied posting the threats and suggested his account may have been hacked, but investigators say he later reversed course, admitting he wrote the messages himself.
According to the affidavit, Aguayo told agents he ‘intended it merely as a joke to provoke attention and laughter,’ and claimed he meant to delete the posts but forgot.
Agents seized and reviewed his phone and a shared laptop after obtaining a search warrant, identifying four Instagram accounts associated with him.
The threatening posts were later removed, and the account appeared to have been removed.
JD Vance was seen carrying his kids, and about 50 Secret Service agents on a fun day out at Disneyland. JD was seen being a doting dad carrying both of his kids while walking from one ride to another, constantly surrounded by security
Authorities say the threat did not disrupt Disneyland operations, and no explosives were found.
Still, federal prosecutors stressed that the seriousness of the language, particularly during a visit involving the vice president and his family, left no room for leniency.
‘We will not tolerate criminal threats against public officials,’ said Bill Essayli, the First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California.
‘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.’
At the discretion of federal authorities, Aguayo was charged with a single count of threatening the president and successors to the presidency.
Vance’s Disneyland trip was not listed on his public schedule and only became widely known after his plane touched down and reports spread on social media.
The posts claimed that pipe bombs had been placed ahead of the vice president’s arrival. The messages also warned of “bloodshed” and referenced violence against politicians
The visit prompted demonstrations outside the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, where the vice president and his family were rumored to be staying.
In August, Vance publicly acknowledged the disruption caused by the visit, but only to fellow parkgoers.
‘We had the island to ourselves which was very cool. I had never been to Disneyland. I thought it was awesome,’ Vance said during an appearance on the Katie Miller Podcast.
‘Sorry to all the people who were at Disneyland for the longer lines, but we had a very good time.’
Behind the scenes, prosecutors say, the Secret Service was confronting something far more serious.