Ron DeSantis campaign organizer arrested for actions during Jan. 6 riot

A Florida woman who interned for Sen. Marco Rubio and worked as an organizer for Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign was taken into custody for Jan.6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Prosecutors say Barbara Balmaseda of Miami Lakes, Florida was captured on CCTV footage "entering the Capital building via the Senate Wing door at approximately 2:16 p.m., just four minutes after rioters initially breached the building," according to a release by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. "According to the allegations, when Balmaseda entered the building, broken glass was scattered on the ground, and an alarm blared near the doorway.

"After entering the Capitol, Balmaseda made her way toward the Crypt and pushed her way to the front of a crowd of rioters who were confronting a police line. The mob eventually overran the police line and proceeded into the Crypt.

It continued: "Balmaseda moved forward, joined a crowd of rioters, and headed towards an area known as the 'OAP Corridor,' where another line of officers initially blocked a hallway. The officers eventually backed away, and the rioters, including Balmaseda, continued to move forward."

The 23-year-old was arrested on Dec. 14, and then charged with obstruction of an official proceeding along with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

The release suggests that Balmaseda was in D.C. to disrupt a "joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election."

Balmaseda had been an engaged GOP member in South Florida who rose to become the director-at-large of the Miami Young Republicans in the lead-up to Jan. 6, according to Politico. The outlet also reported that she served as a campaign organizer for Gov. Ron DeSantis and was a committeewoman for the Party; but relinquished the role soon after pictures purportedly depicting her started to emerge from her taking part in the "Stop The Steal" rally that exploded into a massive and deadly riot.

She made her first appearance in the Southern District of Florida court.