'Plenty of gun ports left to fill': New evidence shows Capitol rioters were armed and ready for battle

New evidence continues to emerge showing that Donald Trump supporters who participated in the Capitol insurrection were armed and ready for battle.

The evidence further undercuts claims from Republican lawmakers who've been "attempting to cover up the Trump-driven insurrection" by falsely alleging that no one brought guns to the Capitol, according to Mother Jones.

The magazine points to the case of one-time Florida Republican congressional candidate Jeremy Brown, who was charged in late September after coming to the Capitol in "full military gear, including a helmet, radio, a tactical vest, and prominently displayed large surgical trauma shears tucked into a pack sitting on the vest." Brown also had a Trump logo on his tactical belt.

Using an encrypted messaging platform, Brown described plans to drive an RV he referred to as "GROUND FORCE ONE" from Florida to DC.

"Plenty of Gun Ports left to fill," Brown wrote in the encrypted group chat. "We can pick you up."

Brown's plan was to arrive in D.C. in plenty of time before the congressional certification of President Joe Biden's victory.

"This will give us the 4th/5th to set up, conduct route recons, CTR (Close Target Reconnaissance) and any link ups needed with DC elements," Brown wrote.

Brown brought guns with him on the trip, but left them with unidentified people in Virginia before heading to the Capitol, according to the FBI. Mother Jones notes that his actions "echo the alleged activity of other Oath Keepers" who stashed guns at a Comfort Inn in Northern Virginia.

"As detailed in our recent investigation, multiple Oath Keepers stockpiled an 'arsenal' at the hotel, as one group member described it, for potential use by a 'quick reaction force' inside DC to battle perceived enemies of Trump, according to court documents," the magazine reports.

Brown also faces federal weapons charges after FBI agents found unregistered weapons — as well as two "military ordnance" grenades — at his home in Tampa. A judge recently ruled that Brown will remain jailed pending trial after he posted a threatening sign outside his home — saying "Better bring a bigger Tactical Package" — following a visit from federal agents.

Other recently unveiled evidence indicates that Joseph Biggs, an organizer for the Proud Boys, had a gun in the crowd at the Capitol. Fellow rioter Ryan Samsel told the FBI that Biggs flashed the gun at him as he urged him to confront Capitol police officers.

In addition, accused insurrectionist Thomas H. Smith reportedly sent a private message through Facebook in which he "claimed that he had a pistol in his pocket during the riot on January 6," according to a court filing unsealed Tuesday.

Finally, "A document obtained recently by a government transparency watchdog, Property of the People, contains indications that the FBI had specific intelligence, prior to January 6, about armed people headed for the nation's capital," Mother Jones reports.

"According to emails circulated among FBI agents in the bureau's Seattle field office on January 5, intelligence analysts with the Washington State Fusion Center had specifically noted social media comments suggesting that some residents of the state were 'planning to travel armed to Washington D.C. for tomorrow's protests there,'" according to the magazine.

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