Pentagon Hires Convicted January 6 Rioter for Highly Sensitive Counterterrorism Job — He Has Zero Counterterrorism Experience

The Trump administration has hired Elias Irizarry, a 24-year-old convicted January 6 rioter, to work inside one of the most sensitive offices in the Pentagon — the unit responsible for counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and embassy security.

Who is Elias Irizarry

• On January 6, 2021, at age 19, Irizarry was a freshman cadet at The Citadel
• He traveled to Washington for the "Stop the Steal" rally and moved with the crowd to the Capitol
• He entered the Capitol through a broken window while holding a metal pole
• He walked through the building, taking photos and exploring areas
• He pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor — entering and remaining in a restricted building
• He was sentenced to 14 days in jail
• At sentencing, he said: "I am ashamed because I will always be a part of this disgrace"
• He apologized to the widows of law enforcement officers who died
• He was readmitted to The Citadel and graduated in 2024
• He ran in a Republican primary for a South Carolina state House seat and lost — Trump endorsed his opponent
• His LinkedIn lists "Patriot" as his profession since January 2024
• He has zero background or career experience in counterterrorism
• He was among the 1,500+ rioters pardoned by Trump on his first day back in office

The job

Irizarry has been assigned to the Pentagon's Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict office — specifically, its irregular warfare and counterterrorism section. The unit comprises about 40 people and handles:

• Embassy security
• Personnel recovery
• Hostage rescue operations

Two people familiar with the office characterized the work as among the most delicate the Pentagon performs. All positions require a top-secret security clearance.

An insider said: "In the case of rescue/extraction missions, it can place our special operators in some of the most complex and dangerous environments we ask of them. To put someone so junior and new to DOD, and with such a checkered background, into such a sensitive portfolio raises serious questions for leadership."

The Pentagon's defense

Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez called Irizarry "a qualified, patriotic young professional." He did not elaborate on what qualifications Irizarry possesses for counterterrorism work. Because there are none to elaborate on.

He is not the first

Irizarry is not the only January 6 participant hired by the Trump administration:

• Jared Wise, a former FBI agent who participated in the January 6 riot and was filmed urging fellow rioters to "kill" police officers, was hired by Trump's Justice Department last summer
• Congressional Democrats have launched investigations into whether the Department of Homeland Security is hiring additional January 6 participants

The full cycle

Track the trajectory of January 6 rioters under the Trump administration:

1. Pardoned — 1,500+ rioters received pardons or commutations on Day One
2. Celebrated — Trump called them "hostages" and "patriots" and played their jail choir recording at rallies
3. Paid — the $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund was designed to compensate them (before it was killed by bipartisan backlash)
4. Hired — placed into sensitive federal positions including counterterrorism

Pardoned. Celebrated. Almost paid with $1.776 billion in taxpayer money. And now hired to protect the country from the kind of attack they participated in.

A man who climbed through a broken window at the Capitol with a metal pole, who was convicted of a crime against American democracy, whose professional credential is "Patriot" on LinkedIn, who lost a state house primary even Trump didn't back him in — that man now has a top-secret security clearance and works in the office that manages hostage rescues and embassy security. The Pentagon says he's qualified. Four of his colleagues disagree. His résumé agrees with his colleagues.