A federal grand jury in Wichita has charged two men from Kansas in two different cases with threatening violence against federal officials, such as a member of Congress and ICE agents.
Adam Lee Osborn, 60, from Wichita, is charged with making a threat to hurt someone and threatening to hurt a federal official in order to influence, impede, or retaliate against them. Osborn is said to have posted on social media on January 23, 2026, that he wanted to kill Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Joaquin Hernandez, 23, also from Wichita, was charged in a separate case with one count of making interstate threats to hurt someone and one count of threatening a federal official in retaliation. Hernandez is said to have posted a video on social media on January 22, 2026, threatening to attack and kill federal ICE agents who were doing their jobs in Wichita.
"We will not put up with threats of violence in politics. In a democracy, we settle our differences by voting after a lot of public discussion.
— Ryan A. Kriegshauser, U.S. Attorney
Both the Wichita Police Department and the FBI are looking into the two events. An indictment is just an accusation. All defendants are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Kriegshauser said that threats against government officials are bad for democracy and that people can't go too far in expressing themselves.
Both cases involve claims of threats made online through social media. This brings up ongoing worries about violence and threats against public officials.
Details about the Separate Indictments
Osborn is said to have threatened a sitting member of Congress, while Hernandez's video is said to have threatened federal law enforcement officers who were working on immigration enforcement in the Wichita area.
The indictments show that the federal government is serious about going after threats against officials, no matter what their political views are or what their job is.
Threats Against Officials in a Bigger Picture
These cases come at a time when people all over the country are more worried about political violence and threats against public servants, including elected officials and police officers.
Main Charges in Each Case
The charges carry serious federal penalties, and they show that the government will strongly prosecute threats of violence against officials.
✓ Threatening to hurt someone over state lines
✓ Threatening to hurt, stop, or retaliate against a federal official
✓ Threatening someone on social media
✓ There were two separate, unrelated events in the Wichita area
The Wichita Police Department and the FBI are still looking into the matter.
What Happens Next in These Situations
The District of Kansas will prosecute both defendants in federal court. The cases will go through the court system, and unless plea deals are reached, there will be trials.
The indictments are a reminder that making threats online, even if you don't follow through, can get you in a lot of trouble with the law and put you in jail for a long time.
Threats of violence in politics shake the very foundation of our government.— Ryan A. Kriegshauser, U.S. Attorney
These unrelated events show how hard it is to deal with threats against public officials in a time when social media is so common.
To protect democracy and public safety, the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office keep making these kinds of cases a top priority.
