Ex-DEA agent from Orange County charged in U.S. Capitol insurrection
LOS ANGELES — A former DEA agent from Orange County has been charged with taking part in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the latest law enforcement member linked to the deadly uprising.
Mark Sami Ibrahim, 33, was arrested Tuesday in Washington, D.C., and charged with entering the Capitol grounds with a firearm and lying to federal law enforcement officials, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Court documents describe Ibrahim as living in Orange County, and public records suggest he once lived in Anaheim.
Multiple photos show Ibrahim posing with his Drug Enforcement Administration badge and gun on his hip as he stands among others waving pro-Trump banners, according to court documents made public Tuesday.
A broad spectrum of extremists — including members of the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and
Three Percenters — joined with hundreds of former President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters on Jan. 6 to storm the Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of President Biden’s election, after months of unfounded claims of election theft.
More than 150 officers reported injuries, some permanent, with three officers dying in the aftermath of the melee.
It is unclear if Ibrahim actually entered the Capitol, but photos and cellphone records confirm the DEA agent was in areas far beyond the barricades torn down by Trump’s supporters.
In one picture, Ibrahim can be seen smiling with his hand resting on his firearm while standing next to a man holding an American flag and a pitchfork.
Ibrahim had announced his attentions to resign from the DEA several weeks before the insurrection and was on personal leave at the time of the riot, according to court filings.
Calls to the DEA seeking comment were not immediately returned. Ibrahim’s defense attorney, Darren Richie, described the charges against his client as an overreach.
In late March, Ibrahim told Fox News host Tucker Carlson he had been fired by the DEA and claimed he had attended the riot alongside his brother, an FBI agent.