UPDATE 11:43 a.m.:
Fox 4 has received court documents that detail the investigation conducted by DHS.
Watch to hear details about the investigation:
Feds: Cape Coral man said to ‘just get a gun and shoot the ICE Nazis down’
THE INVESTIGATION:
In those federal documents, it said the threats were made via Bluesky and they came from a user in Cape Coral.
“The account published multiple public replies explicitly advocating lethal violence against ICE personnel and other law enforcement officers,” the documents said.
Some of the threats Giancola made, according to DHS, include, “start shooting the ice gestapo dead,” “I would shoot them dead. Gestapo Lives Don’t Matter,” and “Gestapo police must die.”
According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Gestapo was the political police force of the Nazi state, which translate to “Secret State Police” in English.
The documents said the posts were made starting on July 9, 2025 and up until July 30.
However, the court records said on Oct. 16, federal authorities started doing keyword searches on the account. The agency said Giancola had been continuously posting from mid-May to mid-August.
Through that same search, court records said he “liked” and replied to several posts including:
“Shoot the ICE Nazis down like the rabid dogs they are” — 4 months ago — reply to George Takei — 7 likes.“I think we should fight fire with fire. Start by shooting ice thugs dead.” — 1 like.
Court documents said he replied to several posts to several people like Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Qasim Rashid Esq. and Minority Leader of the U.S House of Representatives Hakeem Jeffries.
However, the records do not detail if those accounts were actually run by those political leaders.
The federal court papers show they tracked down Giancola’s information using Google and Comcast records.
The day of the search warrant and arrest of Giancola, the documents said he had an iPhone on him, which was taken by agents.
THE INTERVIEW WITH GIANCOLA:
After they detained Giancola, he said he would talk to federal agents.
According to Giancola, court documents said the Bluesky account that made the posts was his and he’s the only one that posts from it using his iPhone.
When agents showed Giancola screenshots of the posts, Giancola said they were his.
The court documents said they asked Giancola if he remembers talking to the Secret Service in 2018 regarding “similar conduct.”
He told agents he was no physical threat to anyone and added, “I have very right to vent my anger online,” the documents said.
“During the interview, when asked if he had wished harm on federal law enforcement, Giancola told SA (Special Agent) Chabot that he would not care if someone shot SA Chabot right then because he considered SA Chabot a “traitor,”” the report said. “I mean, if someone would shoot an ICE agent and kill him, you personally, for example, no, I would not feel sorry at all because I consider you a traitor and a Nazi. And we killed Nazis in World War II.”
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Department of Homeland Security has released more information about the arrest of a Cape Coral man, charged with making death threats against ICE agents.
Joseph Rocco Giancola Jr. was taken into custody by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations on Oct. 30. According to authorities, Giancola engaged in a months-long pattern of threats against ICE officials using the online pseudonym “Cain Delon” on the social media website, Bluesky.
The department said the threats included comparing ICE officials to Nazis and calling for violence against federal agents.
“Making comments like ‘Shoot the ICE Nazis dead… Shoot ICE gestapo dead… Get your gun and shoot them dead’ is not free speech, it’s simply dangerous,” HSI Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Cochran said. “While the First Amendment protects free speech, it does not extend to threats of violence or actions that incite harm. Freedom of speech carries a responsibility to exercise it in a manner that respects the safety and rights of others.”
According to authorities, some of Giancola’s statements on Bluesky included:
“Shoot the ICE Nazis down like the rabid dogs they are.”
“Just get a gun and shoot the ICE Nazis down.”
“Shoot the ICE agents down.”
“They come near me and I shoot to kill. Be warned.”
On Thursday, DHS said they had a warrant to search his home on Chiquita Boulevard with his daughter and her family. At 6 a.m. Thursday, they say they woke up to federal agents at their front door.
Anna Giancola, Josepph’s daughter, told Fox 4 that the agents didn’t tell her why they were there or give her a warrant until they left, about 2-and-a-half hours after they arrived. She says the agents ransacked her home.
“I just don’t feel safe,” she said. “With the door broken, I feel like someone’s gonna hurt us.”
RELATED COVERAGE: Federal agents raid Cape Coral home, arrest man on threat charges
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