Who is Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, who has been jailed for 22 years for storming the Capitol building?

Enrique Tarrio has been jailed for 22 years – the longest sentence given out in relation to the storming of the Capitol two years ago.

Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, has been jailed for 22 years in relation to an attack on Washington’s Capitol building two years ago.

But who is Tarrio and why has he been given the most severe penalty of any of the 1,100 people involved in the storming of the building after the defeat of former president Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential elections?

Who is former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio?

Former leader of the Proud Boys Enrique Tarrio (left), wearing a shirt supporting Derek Chauvin, joins a counter-protest where people gathered to remember George Floyd. Picture: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Born in Florida, a state known for its right-wing base, but with Cuban roots, Tarrio, aged 39, stood as a candidate in the Republican primary election for Florida's 27th congressional district in 2020, but withdrew. He was also the Florida state director of the grassroots organisation Latinos for Trump.

However, it was 2017 when he joined the Proud Boys after a chance meeting at a party with a member of the group, Alex Gonzalez.

The organisation pitched itself as right-leaning libertarians who support free speech, gun rights and traditional gender roles, but has been accused of white supremacy ideals.

Tarrio was not present at the attack on the Capitol in January 2021 and was in Baltimore, some 40 miles away. This was due to having been arrested on charges of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that belonged to a Black church in Washington after an earlier pro-Trump rally.

Nayib Hassan and Sabino Jauregui, attorneys for Enrique Tarrio, speak to reporters as they depart federal court after a sentencing hearing for Tarrio in Washington, DC. Enrique Tarrio, former leader of the Proud Boys, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

However, he is regarded as a key figure in the incident, which saw a mob of pro-Trump supporters enter the building in a bid to stop a joint session of Congress from counting the Electoral College votes to formalise the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.

Tarrio was accused of rallying his troops to storm the Capitol and was found guilty of charges of “seditious conspiracy” earlier this year. One protester was shot dead and many other people injured in the riot.

Other Proud Boys members included Ethan Nordean, who was last week given a sentence of 18 years – until now, the longest handed out for convictions relating to the incident. Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola were each sentenced to between ten and 17 years in prison over their involvement.

The Proud Boys group has been described as “foot soldiers for the right”, and has established itself as a right-wing force against local issues such as Covid restrictions and the teaching of LGBTQ+ and anti racism in schools.

Conor Mulroe, a prosecutor on the case, said the judge should have issued a longer sentence of 33 years to help prevent the rise of extremist groups in future.

“His [Tarrio’s] leadership over the Proud Boys was about violence and manipulation,” Mr Mulroe said. “He demonised his perceived adversaries. He glorified the use of force against them. He elevated the street fighting element in his group — the so-called rally boys — and he practiced and endorsed the use of disinformation, deceiving the public and cultivating fear.”

However, Tarrio’s lawyers have insisted neither their client nor the Proud Boys planned to storm the building.

“The plan all along was to confront [anti-facist movement] Antifa and to protest,” lawyer Sabino Jauregui said. “Everything that happened after that was not my client’s intent and was not my client’s plan.”