Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes have been released from prison following President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon or commute the sentences of more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The two prominent leaders were freed within 24 hours of the announcement, part of Trump’s sweeping move to dismiss charges and drop pending cases against those involved in the riot.
“My son, Enrique Tarrio, has been released officially as of now!” Zuny Tarrio shared on X, formerly Twitter.
Rhodes, whose sentence was commuted but not pardoned, remains at a Washington jail awaiting the release of other defendants. Rhodes, a former U.S. Army paratrooper and Yale-educated lawyer, was convicted in 2023 of seditious conspiracy for directing Oath Keepers members during the riot. Although he did not enter the Capitol, he was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.
Tarrio, who also faced seditious conspiracy charges, was found guilty of orchestrating efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison despite not being in Washington, D.C., on the day of the riot. His sentence was the longest handed down in connection to the attack.
In addition to the pardons and commutations, Trump signed an order instructing the Department of Justice to drop all pending cases related to the Capitol riot. Many defendants have been held in jail for over a year, with Trump frequently referring to them as “hostages” during his campaign.
Edward R. Martin, a vocal advocate for the defendants, has been appointed as the acting U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., signaling Trump’s commitment to halting prosecutions.
Outside the D.C. central jail, frustration mounted among families waiting for updates. Ben Pollock, whose children Jonathan and Olivia remain in custody, expressed confusion over the process. “Why haven’t they been released?” he said.
Democratic leaders have criticized Trump’s actions, calling them an effort to rewrite history and downplay the violence of the Capitol riot, which resulted in multiple deaths. Trump, however, has repeatedly described the day as “peaceful.”
