Texas man convicted of threatening to kill Secret Service agents and their families

A federal jury in Lubbock, Texas, has convicted a man of making online threats to kill U.S. Secret Service agents and their families, according to prosecutors.

37-year-old Tristan Rene Langston was found guilty of transmitting threats in interstate commerce and threatening a federal law enforcement officer, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. The charges stem from online threats he made in February.

According to evidence presented at trial, Langston posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, on February 21 criticizing two Secret Service agents and stating, “2nd Amendment in full effect. Gonna slit the throats of agents and their families.”

Prosecutors said the threats were directed at agents who had previously investigated Langston in connection with an earlier online threat in 2023.

Over the following months, Langston targeted one of the agents and his family in online posts and kept videos and notes on his phone documenting his anger toward them, according to testimony. Prosecutors said he knew the threats would be perceived as retaliation for the prior investigation.

Langston faces up to 15 years in federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 6.