Enrique Tarrio’s mother has made a heartfelt plea to President-elect Donald Trump, asking him to pardon her son, who is serving a 22-year sentence for his role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Tarrio wasn’t physically in Washington, D.C., that day, but prosecutors argued that, as the leader of the Proud Boys, he played a major role in planning the chaos.
A jury agreed with the prosecutors, convicting him of seditious conspiracy, a serious charge tied to the Capitol attack. A judge then handed him the longest sentence given to anyone involved in the events of January 6. Now, with Trump returning to office in 2025, Tarrio’s mother, Zuny Tarrio, hopes the former president will follow through on his campaign promise to pardon those imprisoned for the Capitol riot.
In an emotional interview with a media outlet in South Florida, Zuny spoke directly to Trump. “President Trump, I think my son and most of the January 6 participants, if not all, deserve to be home with their families,” she said. “We’ve suffered long enough.”
While Zuny acknowledged that the riot was a tragic event, she shifted some blame toward the authorities, saying the government should have done more to prevent it. “I don’t think anyone likes what happened on January 6,” she said. “But the way it unfolded could have been stopped in many ways.”
Her comments come as the aftermath of January 6 remains a sore point for the nation. That day, a violent mob stormed the Capitol, disrupting Congress as it certified Joe Biden’s 2020 election win. Tragically, at least five police officers who dealt with the mob later died, and many others were injured. But Zuny said those risks come with the job. “When officers take an oath, there’s no guarantee of what happens when you’re doing work like that,” she said.
She also pushed back against the idea that her son masterminded the attack. “Enrique Tarrio wasn’t even there that day,” she argued. “He wasn’t on Capitol grounds or even in Washington, D.C.”
Her son had been ordered to leave Washington days earlier after being arrested for burning a stolen Black Lives Matter flag outside a historic Black church. Despite his physical absence, prosecutors said Tarrio had created a Proud Boys subgroup called the “Ministry of Self Defense” to plan and coordinate the group’s role in the Capitol attack. They also said he used encrypted messaging to encourage followers to continue their efforts on January 6.
During the trial, prosecutors reminded jurors of Trump’s words during a 2020 presidential debate, when he told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough argued that the group took those words as motivation. “These men did not stand back. They did not stand by. Instead, they mobilized,” he said.
The defense, however, argued that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove that Tarrio and the others had agreed to launch an attack. They also claimed that Trump himself was responsible for fueling the mob, pointing to his rally speech earlier that day, where he urged supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell.”
The January 6 House committee backed up claims about the Proud Boys’ involvement, finding that the group “did lead the assault” on the Capitol.
Zuny described the years since her son’s imprisonment as “horrific,” saying it’s been heartbreaking to have a child in federal prison. “It’s a terrible feeling when your child is locked up without a real reason,” she said.
As the debate continues over who bears the ultimate responsibility for January 6, Tarrio’s mother, like many others, is left hoping for a second chance for her son—and perhaps a pardon from the man she believes can make it happen.
