DOJ arrests its 1,000th rioter — and has plans to arrest hundreds more

As of this month, the Justice Department has arrested 1,000 people for their involvement in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, per CBS News — but they are not even close to done finding all the perpetrators.

"A new wave of cases, many of which involve higher-level charges of assaults against police, continues to expand a prosecution that is already the largest in American history," reported Scott MacFarlane. "Twenty-six months into the criminal investigation, the newest cases continue to reveal new details and evidence about alleged criminal activity amid the riotous mob."

"Slightly more than half of the men and women charged with federal crimes in the Jan. 6 attack have entered guilty pleas in their cases. But even as cases close, new defendants and charges continue to surface, which could stretch the overall prosecution well into 2024, if not beyond," said the report. "In its latest update, the Justice Department said the FBI is seeking to identify at least 260 more people wanted in the attack."

According to the report, the latest charges concern a pair of North Carolina men who rummaged through the desk of Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT).

"The charging document alleges one defendant photographed a printed copy of a speech by Sen. Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, criticizing former President Donald Trump. The speech was delivered in February 2020, ahead of Romney's guilty vote against Trump in the former president's first impeachment trial," said the report. "According to the Justice Department's court filings, Romney had written the name 'Mike' atop the speech and signed his name. The name 'Mike' was a reference to either his colleague Sen. Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, or Sen. Mike Rounds, Republican of South Dakota, and shared in February 2020, according to a Romney spokesperson."

Another major recent arrest concerned a man known to amateur investigators as the "Spider Nazi," who was photographed scaling a wall at the Capitol complex while wearing spider patterns on the day of the attack.

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