An Arizona jury found Rene Ortiz guilty of threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump. The conviction came after a four-day trial in Phoenix.
The jury convicted Ortiz, a Marine combat veteran from Casa Grande, on Monday of making threats against the president. He had left documents at federal courthouses in Phoenix and Tucson outlining plans to shoot Trump with an M16 rifle from 300 or 500 yards away. Ortiz was arrested in early 2025 over threats made in November and December 2024. During a December 2024 interview with federal agents, he admitted to the statements and linked them to grievances with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Ortiz's defense team argued he did not intend to carry out the threats and cited his mental health conditions. They also filed a motion for a mistrial, which the judge denied. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.