San Marcos resident arrested for participation in Capitol riot

A San Marcos resident and reported video editor with Infowars has been arrested and charged for participating in the January 6 Capitol riot.

SAN MARCOS, Texas - A San Marcos resident and reported video editor with Infowars has been arrested and charged for participating in the January 6 Capitol riot.

On January 11 the FBI says it received a tip to the National Threat Operations Center from a family member of San Marcos resident Samuel Christopher Montoya.

The family member reported they had proof that Montoya was physically inside the U.S. Capitol near the shooting of a woman on January 6. FBI agents interviewed the family member on January 17 to follow up on the tip.

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The family member stated that Montoya worked for Infowars and that Montoya showed a video of himself walking through the Capitol and captured footage of the death of Ashli Babbitt. The family member also reported that Montoya showed the video to his family who all recognized Montoya as being the one in the video and having taken the video.

On February 24, the family member was shown a still shot of the narrator’s face, from when he turns the camera on himself; The FBI says the family member commented that it was an "old picture of him" and positively identified the image as Montoya.

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The video captures "Sam" going from the Capitol grounds into the Capitol Building along with crowds of protesters on January 6 at one point turning the camera on himself and exclaiming, "It feels good to be in the Capitol baby!"

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The FBI reviewed the open-source video posted on January 6 entitled "Patriots Storm Congress Raw Footage Includes Execution of Ashli Babbitt." The approximately 44-minute video is embedded with the tag "THERESISTANCE.VIDEO" and the narrator identifies himself as "Sam with Infowars.com."

The narrator "Sam" was wearing a tan jacket, a red "Make America Great Again" baseball cap, and a black backpack. The FBI says it observed that "Sam" matches the appearance of Montoya on his driver’s license. The FBI says the video captures Montoya’s movements outside and then inside the Capitol Building until he arrives by the doors outside the Speaker’s Lobby, where it depicts the shooting of the woman publicly identified as Ashli Babbitt.

During the video, The FBI reports Montoya makes the following statements:

"We’re gonna crawl, we’re gonna climb. We’re gonna do whatever it takes, we’re gonna do whatever it takes to MAGA. Here we go, y’all. Here we go, y’all. Look at this, look at this. I don’t even know what’s going on right now. I don’t wanna get shot, I’ll be honest, but I don’t wanna lose my country. And that’s more important to me than—than getting shot."
"We have had enough! We’re not gonna take your f****** vaccines! We’re not gonna take all your b***s***! The people are rising up! Folks, I am now on the steps of the Capitol. Here we go! Here we go! Having a good time!"
"We are in the Capitol, baby! Yeah!"
"We’re all being a little bit too rowdy for sure."
"Here we are in the US Capitol in Washington DC in the Capitol building, it has officially been stormed by Trump supporters. Again, the US Capitol building in Washington DC has officially been stormed by Trump supporters. And here we are, taking our—the people’s house back!"
"I’m sure these officers are scared, but we’re here, we’re here to just show that we’ve had enough. We’ve had enough."
"We don’t hurt innocent people; we don’t tear down statues! We don’t tear down statues! We take our house back! We take the people’s house back!"

At times during the video, the FBI says Montoya describes himself to others inside the Capitol Building as a "reporter" or "journalist" as he attempts to get through crowds. The FBI says the director of the Congressional press galleries within the Senate Press office did a name check on Samuel Christopher Montoya and confirmed that no one by that name has Congressional press credentials as an individual or via any other organizations.

The FBI also reviewed several interviews with Montoya on the Infowars show "War Room with Owen Shroyer" regarding the events at the U.S. Capitol.

The FBI also reviewed several interviews with Montoya on the Infowars show "War Room with Owen Shroyer" regarding the events at the U.S. Capitol. On January 8, Shroyer interviewed Montoya in a video titled "EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT OF ASHLI BABBITT’S EXECUTION." Montoya, who is credited as "Sam" and a "video editor at Infowarsstore.com", describes to Shroyer hearing the gunshot and his recollections of the scene of the shooting.

Shroyer's "exclusive" footage that is played features his same voice narrating as in the 44-minute video.

On January 11, 2021, Shroyer interviewed Montoya who appeared to be wearing the same tan jacket he had been wearing at the U.S. Capitol. The FBI reports during the interview, Montoya spoke about his firsthand observations of "agitators" inside the Capitol Building. Shroyer noted that "Sam shot hours of footage that day and he’s still going through it." Montoya stated, among other things: "I was there. I was there on the outside. I was there on the inside."

On January 11, 2021, Shroyer interviewed Montoya who appeared to be wearing the same tan jacket he had been wearing at the U.S. Capitol.

On January 12, 2021, Shroyer interviewed Montoya a third time.

The FBI also reviewed U.S. Capitol Police surveillance that captures Montoya at various locations inside the Capitol Building. The footage is consistent with locations depicted from Montoya’s perspective in his 44-minute video. The footage shows Montoya wearing the tan jacket, red "Make America Great Again" baseball cap, and black backpack from his 44-minute video.