The administration of US President Donald Trump A convicted participant in the January 6, 2021 riots known as the events Storming Congressto work in the Pentagon office responsible for sensitive special operations and irregular warfare issues.
The Washington Post reported that Elias Irizarry, who was 19 years old when he participated in the attack on the US Capitol, was appointed to a position within the Office of Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflicts of the Department of Defense. The Pentagon confirmed Irizarry’s appointment in a statement saying that he is a competent and patriotic young man, and we are proud of his political appointment in Ministry of War.
The Washington Post reported that Irizarry works in the office’s Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Division. The office oversees the use of special operations forces in counterterrorism, counterproliferation, special reconnaissance, and similar activities, as well as overseeing U.S. Special Operations Command (SoCom) special access programs.
From courtrooms to the Ministry of War
According to court documents, Irizarry traveled from South Carolina to Washington, D.C., to attend President Trump’s Stop the Steal rally. On January 6, 2021, Irizarry was a senior at the Citadel Military College in South Carolina, and was serving in the Civil Air Patrol.
Irizarry pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and was sentenced to 14 days in jail. After his arrest, prosecutors said Irizarry showed no remorse and was determined to uncover the identity of his backstabber by turning him over to authorities, according to court records.
Storming Congress…the largest attack on American democracy since the Civil War
But during his 2023 sentencing hearing, Irizarry disavowed his involvement in the January 6th riot, saying: “I am ashamed that I will always be a part of this shame as January 6th was a truly horrific event that was the greatest attack on our democracy since the Civil War.”
Irizarry was suspended from the Citadel College after pleading guilty, but was readmitted and graduated. Irizarry ran for a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2024, but lost in the Republican primary by more than 44 points to Representative Randy Ligon.
