'The execution shall commence': Marine combat vet who pledged to snipe Trump with service rifle from 300 yards away learns his fate

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, May 23, 2025 (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta).

A Marine combat seasoned successful Arizona who threatened to stroke away President Donald Trump with an M16 firearm — saying helium would do it with "rounds targeting the head, not the ear" — learned his destiny this week.

Rene Ortiz, of Casa Grande, was sentenced connected Tuesday to 38 months successful national situation aft being convicted successful June of threats against the president pursuing a four-day trial successful Phoenix. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona had recommended a condemnation of astatine slightest 36 months, noting that Ortiz's "threats were serious" but besides perchance the effect of his "documented intelligence wellness challenges," according to tribunal documents.

"The connection helium utilized to endanger to execute either campaigner was frightening," national prosecutors said successful an Oct. 6 sentencing memo. "Defendant besides suffered from circumstantial intelligence wellness conditions that whitethorn person contributed to his behavior."

Ortiz was arrested successful aboriginal 2025 for allegedly hurling assassination threats against Trump successful November and December 2024, erstwhile helium was the president-elect. Ortiz threatened Trump successful documents near astatine national courthouses successful Phoenix and Tucson, archetypal asking the courts to "execute the recently elected POTUS by firing an M-16A2 Service Rifle with a mag of 6 rounds" earlier threatening to bash it himself if his demands weren't met, according to a national complaint.

"The execution shall commence 3 days upon announcement to the Defendants to this action," Ortiz said, noting however the "6 rounds to beryllium changeable volition beryllium from 300 oregon 500 yards distant from the target," per the complaint.

"ANY REFUSAL OF ANY RIGHT, MR. Ortiz volition beryllium entitled to changeable THE INCOMING FRAUDULENT ELECTED POTUS FROM 300 OR 666 YARDS AWAY WITH 666 ROUNDS FOR AN M-16A2 SERVICE RIFLE AT THE INAGURATION," Ortiz threatened, adding that helium had an "Expert Badge" successful marksmanship.

Federal agents questioned Ortiz astir the threats connected Dec. 5, 2024, astatine the Secret Service Phoenix tract office. During the interview, Ortiz admitted to making them.

"When asked if Ortiz plans to sprout [Trump], Ortiz responded, 'If my demands are not met,'" according to the complaint. "Ortiz explained his grievance is with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Ortiz explained portion employed astatine the VA they promised to wage for his schooling if helium discontinue moving for them. Ortiz discontinue moving astatine the VA and began schoolhouse but has not been reimbursed for his education."

During his trial, Ortiz's household said helium was upset aft being fired from the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the Tucson Sentinel. He began drafting lawsuits to situation his termination and hand-delivered documents to the courthouses with assistance from household members, who drove him and said they had nary thought what helium was really saying successful the documents.

"Mountains and mountains of paperwork," Ortiz's oldest son, Ryun Ortiz, reportedly testified.

Ortiz's nationalist defenders argued that helium did not mean what helium said astir harming the president and insisted nary information was ever really present, per tribunal filings and testimony. They besides claimed helium suffers from schizoaffective upset and borderline property disorder. Ortiz's defence filed a question connected June 5 to state a mistrial.

In it, Ortiz's lawyers claimed determination is simply a "manifest necessity" for a mistrial due to the fact that the tribunal "limited defence counsel's questioning" of defence witnesser Deputy U.S. Marshal Vladimir St. Louis, according to the U.S. Attorney's effect to the filing. St. Louis investigated akin threats to the U.S. Attorney's Office successful cardinal California that Ortiz allegedly made 2 months earlier his apprehension for the Trump threats.

For the California threats, U.S. Marshals decided not to apprehension Ortiz due to the fact that they believed helium apt suffered from intelligence wellness issues. The justice overseeing his Trump threats case, however, refused to fto St. Louis beryllium questioned astir the determination aft national prosecutors argued that it would "elicit irrelevant hearsay," according to tribunal filings.

"The questions were improper and grounds inadmissible," prosecutors said successful a June 8 effect to Ortiz's question to state a mistrial, which was filed connected June 5. "There is nary reason, overmuch little a manifest necessity, to state a mistrial present and now."

The U.S. Attorney's Office described Ortiz's Arizona threats arsenic "specific and convulsive successful nature" successful the Oct. 6 sentencing memo.

"The threatening connection included elaborate descriptions of what helium intended to bash (execute the victor of the predetermination with an M-16 work rifle) and erstwhile and wherever helium planned to bash it (at the January 20 statesmanlike inauguration)," prosecutors said. "He besides specifically referenced his anterior weapons expertise truthful that readers would instrumentality his menace seriously. The effect of these repeated threats included a important expenditure of authorities resources to analyse and support the president and erstwhile vice president from acts of violence. And though suspect whitethorn person wanted to gully attraction to his different grievances, his motive does not warrant his conduct."

Prosecutors added that portion Ortiz's intelligence wellness issues "cut some ways successful determining an due sentence," his issues person remained uncontrolled and helium has engaged successful transgression behaviour contempt receiving treatment.

"Even today, suspect does not look to person expressed immoderate remorse for his conduct, and declined to enactment successful a presentence interview," prosecutors noted.

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