A 22-year-old Anaheim man has been charged with a federal felony for allegedly posting violent threats against Vice President JD Vance during a family trip to Disneyland last summer.
On July 12, 2025, Marco Antonio Aguayo, a California resident, allegedly posted menacing comments on the Walt Disney Company’s Instagram page, coinciding with Vance’s unpublicized visit to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. Federal prosecutors state the posts referenced pipe bombs and bloodshed, prompting an immediate response from the U.S. Secret Service and Anaheim police. Authorities confirmed no explosives were found, and park operations remained unaffected.
According to the Daily Mail, the issue has ignited debate over the boundaries of free speech and the seriousness of online threats in an era of heightened political tension. While some may dismiss such posts as mere trolling, the targeting of a public official and his family during a private outing raises valid concerns about safety and accountability.
Aguayo, using the handle @jesses_andamy, allegedly shared disturbing messages on social media around 6:14 p.m., shortly after Air Force Two landed at John Wayne Airport. The posts emerged as news of Vance’s arrival in Anaheim spread, amid local protests tied to immigration enforcement policies in California.
One chilling message read, “Pipe bombs have been placed in preparation for J.D. Vance’s arrival.” Such language, even if intended as a jest, crosses a dangerous line when it involves a high-ranking official and a crowded family destination like Disneyland.
Later that day, Secret Service agents and local police tracked Aguayo to his apartment for questioning. He initially denied responsibility, claiming his account might have been hacked, before admitting he authored the posts himself.
Aguayo told investigators he meant the threats as a “joke to provoke attention and laughter,” according to the federal affidavit. If humor was the goal, it missed the mark by a mile—threats of violence against a vice president aren’t a laughing matter in any context. Agents, armed with a search warrant, seized his phone and a shared laptop, identifying four Instagram accounts linked to him. The threatening posts were eventually removed, and the associated account appears to have been deleted.
Federal prosecutors have charged Aguayo with a single count of making threats against the president and successors to the presidency, a felony carrying up to five years in prison. Their stance is clear: such language, especially directed at Vance and his family, demands a firm response.
Vance’s trip to Disneyland, not listed on his public schedule, became widely known only after social media buzzed with sightings and his plane touched down. Demonstrations flared outside the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, where he and his family were reportedly staying.
In a later appearance on the Katie Miller Podcast, Vance acknowledged the disruption, saying, “Sorry to all the people who were at Disneyland for the longer lines, but we had a very good time.” It’s a lighthearted quip, but behind the scenes, the Secret Service grappled with a far graver situation.
The incident didn’t interrupt park operations, but it underscores the unseen security challenges public figures face, even during personal moments. Families visiting Disneyland expect magic, not the specter of violent rhetoric.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California emphasized, “We will not tolerate criminal threats against public officials.” His warning is timely—anonymous online bravado can have real-world consequences, and law enforcement is watching.
This case also highlights the tension between free expression and public safety in a hyper-connected age. While robust debate is a cornerstone of democracy, threats of bloodshed—joke or not—erode trust and endanger lives.
As political divisions deepen, incidents like this remind us that words matter, especially when they target leaders and their loved ones. Aguayo’s actions, whether misguided humor or something darker, have landed him in serious legal jeopardy, and rightly so.