A far-right activist was arrested Tuesday and indicted on charges of conspiracy after the deadly assault on Congress on January 6 in Washington, US justice said.
Thomas Caldwell, in his sixties and living in northern Virginia, is accused of having organized a small group associated with the Oath Keepers movement - which brings together a myriad of violent anti-government groups across the country - to enter
"voluntarily"
in the Congress building.
Read also: Who are the pro-Trump who stormed the US Congress?
The violence of January 6 was chaotic, disorganized and typical of a spontaneous riot.
But the videos, photos and communications analyzed since the violence carried out by supporters of Donald Trump suggest a disturbing level of preparation and organization, characteristic of militia groups who regularly train in weapons and guerrilla warfare.
According to the investigation by the federal police, Thomas Caldwell, who seems to have
"a leading role within the Oath Keepers"
,
"planned and coordinated"
his action by designating a hotel in the vicinity of Washington to his alleged accomplices.
"It's a good location and it would allow us to hunt at night if we wanted to"
, he explained in a message on Facebook posted on January 1.
Among his accomplices, the FBI cites a woman, Jessica Watkins, and a man, Donovan Crowl, who were arrested Monday in Ohio and are accused of breaking into a prohibited building.
A 38-year-old former military member and member of an Ohio militia, Jessica Watkins posted messages and photos on Jan.6 showing her, in riot gear, near the Capitol.
"Me, before forcing the entrance to the Capitol," she
explains on her Speaking account.
"Yes, we stormed the Capitol," she
adds later on her account, claiming to have
"created historical events".
Donovan Crowl, a 50-year-old former Navy member of the same militia as Jessica Watkins, also publicly admitted his presence during the assault in an interview with
New Yorker
magazine
.
He explained that he had gone to Washington to
"ensure the safety of a VIP"
that he did not identify, and assured that his intentions were
"peaceful".
P
lmost 90 people were charged, of which at least five
"conspiracy"
for violence to Congress, which left five people dead.