United States of America v. Andrew Stanton

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with threatening to murder a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer who was serving on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Andrew Stanton, age 38, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, posted a video to TikTok in which he stated, “We’re not getting through to them [politicians] with using our words. That’s never gonna happen. You have to use bullets.” In a separate video posted that same day, Stanton superimposed text over a video of himself, and that text stated, “I imply the very TRUE statement that a violent state can only be stopped with violence in return. / Also, I think we should be OFFING federal agents / Also, I support ‘terrorism’ by their standard. Anti-imperialist by mine.”

Members of the FBI Task Force attempted to interview Stanton, prompting him to post additional calls for violence on TikTok. These included a specific threat to the CBP Officer who had reached out to him. On October 4, 2025, Stanton posted a video to TikTok in which he stated, “What the f**k are we even talking about here? If ICE shows up to your neighborhood – I’m sorry, I’m just gonna say it. It’s time to start f**king shooting at them. If they show up to your neighborhood, and I’m talking to you, Border Patrol Officer Joe, it’s time we start shooting at y’all.”

Stanton also repeatedly posted images of weapons and body armor on TikTok, along with additional violent messages. Stanton’s videos, including his threat to the CPB Officer, were viewed hundreds of thousands of times on TikTok.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Taibleson is prosecuting it.

The Defendant was found guilty. At sentencing, Stanton faces a term of imprisonment of up to ten years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.