Man arrested at media-hyped 'Justice for J6' rally was actually federal agent; prosecutor declines charges

The media-hyped "Justice for J6" rally was promised to be the sequel to the Jan. 6 riot at Capitol Hill. With a massive police presence, many of whom were dressed in full riot gear, and the Capitol barricaded, the rally turned out to be a complete dud.

There was, however, one arrest of a man who was found to be in possession of a firearm. But it turned out that man was a federal agent.

What are the details?

The man who was arrested is a 27-year-old U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent from New Jersey. He was taken into custody after people at the rally reported seeing him with a firearm.

The United States Capitol Police initially said the man was being charged with violating 40 U.S. Code § 5104 for carrying a firearm on federal property where it is illegal to possess a firearm.

However, the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., said prosecutors were "not moving forward with charges," the Associated Press reported. The office did not provide additional details.

The CBP agent was not at the rally in an official capacity.

CBP said they were aware of the arrest and are cooperating with the investigation. "CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission and expects officers to adhere to the oath they take to uphold the laws of this country," the agency added.

The fate of the CBP agent is entirely different than that of a Drug Enforcement Agent who attended the Jan. 6 rally. That agent, who was also off duty, was hit with numerous charges after flashing his badge and concealed firearm during the riot.

Anything else?

Despite claims the "Justice for J6" rally would bring more violence to the Capitol, media and law enforcement easily outnumbered the number of demonstrators who turned out for the rally, the AP reported.

Only two people, in fact, were arrested during the rally: The CBP agent and another demonstrator who possessed a knife. Two others were arrested around the Capitol area Saturday morning on outstanding warrants completely unrelated to the rally.