• A Casa Grande man is in custody after making threats to assassinate Donald Trump just days before the inauguration.
  • Rene Ortiz filed court paperwork in Arizona outlining his threats.
  • Here's how the Secret Service responded to the threats.

One of the most cherished rights in the United States is the freedom to disagree with our politicians and elected officials.

Disagreement in America is sacred and generally protected by the First Amendment under Free Speech; threats of violence due to a disagreement, however, is another matter, and not considered protected speech, as an Arizona man discovered.

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READ: How Will Trump's Illegal Immigration Crackdown Affect Arizona?

Arizona Man Threatens to Kill Incoming President Donald Trump

A lot of us get frustrated with a broken system. It's another matter when that anger escalates toward violence.

A man named Rene Ortiz of Casa Grande is making headlines right now - for all the wrong reasons. For whatever reason, Ortiz filed documents with federal courthouses in both Phoenix and Tucson. In the filings, he asked permission for the "court to execute the newly elected POTUS.”

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The alarming court documents also requested the courts approve his plan to assassinate Donald Trump before Inauguration Day, saying that he intended to use an M-16A2 service rifle to carry out his plan.

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Casa Grande Man's Motives to Assassinate President Trump

After the two alarming assassination attempts during Donald Trump's presidential campaign, the Secret Service took Ortiz's threats seriously.

Ortiz claimed to have had trouble with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and shared the specifics of his plan to harm the incoming president.

READ: A Violent Legal Case in Arizona Set US Law

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The Secret Service Arrests Rene Ortiz

In the court filings,  Rene Ortiz wrote, “I chose to execute the newly elected POTUS by firing an M-16A2 Service Rifle with a magazine of 6 rounds. The Court and the Defendants were warned to withdraw from their campaign.”

In addition to his threats, Ortiz asked the courts to remove both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris from the ballot and suggested he be the replacement candidate, with Joe Biden as his running mate.

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The Secret Service didn't take Ortiz's threats lightly. He was arrested on January 17, days before Trump's inauguration. Ortiz is in custody and facing some serious charges.

Sources: 12News.com | Reuters | AZ Family | Tucson Sentinel

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