WASHINGTON D.C. – Julio Baquero, 38, of Hollywood, Florida, will spend the next 18 months behind bars after pleading guilty to a felony charge stemming from the January 6th Capitol riot. Baquero actively resisted law enforcement attempting to clear the Capitol Rotunda, grabbing at officers and escalating the chaos during the breach of the U.S. Capitol building. He also received 12 months of supervised release and a $2,000 restitution order for his part in the disruption.
Court records detail how Baquero, alongside Louis Valentin, traveled to Washington D.C. with the intent of participating in the unrest. CCTV footage places Baquero inside the Capitol, making his way to the Rotunda around 3:00 PM, just as officers began the arduous task of reclaiming the building. Instead of complying, Baquero engaged officers, physically hindering their efforts and spewing insults, reportedly calling them “traitors.”
The confrontation wasn’t limited to verbal abuse. Baquero physically grabbed an officer from the Metropolitan Police Department, attempting to wrench control of the officer’s baton. After being forced out of the Rotunda, he didn’t retreat. Instead, he aggressively tried to re-enter, forcing U.S. Capitol Police officers to physically restrain him and prevent him from breaching the security perimeter again. This wasn’t a passive presence; it was a deliberate attempt to obstruct the lawful proceedings of the U.S. Congress.
Federal prosecutors from the District of Columbia, with support from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Southern District of Florida, secured the conviction. The FBI’s Miami and Washington Field Offices led the investigation, working in tandem with the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police. The feds built a solid case using CCTV and body-worn camera footage, leaving little room for denial.
Baquero’s sentencing is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Over 1,000 individuals have been arrested in connection with the January 6th attack, with over 320 facing charges related to assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The sheer scale of the investigation is staggering, spanning nearly all 50 states and consuming significant resources. And the investigation isn’t over.
The FBI continues to actively seek tips and information related to the riot. While Baquero is now facing the consequences of his actions, hundreds more remain at large. The feds are committed to identifying and prosecuting all those involved in the attack on the Capitol, sending a clear message that such acts of violence and obstruction will not be tolerated. Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI immediately.
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