Federal agents have arrested a 29-year-old Minnesota man accused of using TikTok to offer a $45,000 bounty for the death of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, authorities said Monday.
The suspect, identified as Tyler Maxon Avalos of St. Paul, was taken into custody on October 16 after an FBI investigation linked him to a TikTok video that appeared to solicit violence against the attorney general.
According to court documents, the video featured a photo of Bondi with a red sniper-scope dot on her forehead and the text:
“WANTED: Pam Bondi / REWARD: $45,000 / DEAD OR ALIVE / (PREFERABLY DEAD).”
Beneath the image, Avalos allegedly wrote, “Cough cough. When they don’t serve us, then what?”
Authorities said the video was reported earlier this month by a TikTok user in Detroit who alerted the FBI to the threat. Agents traced the account, which used the alias “Wacko,” back to Avalos. The account displayed anarchist symbols and linked to an online document titled “An Anarchist FAQ,” often cited in extremist online communities.
Avalos was arrested without incident and remains in federal custody pending formal charges. Investigators are reviewing his social-media activity to determine if others were involved or aware of the alleged plot.
“The swift action of a concerned citizen likely prevented potential violence,” an FBI spokesperson said. “Public safety depends on vigilance, and we urge anyone who encounters threats like this online to report them immediately.”
Court records show that Avalos has a criminal history in multiple states, including:
- Felony stalking in Dakota County, Minnesota (July 2022)
- Felony third-degree domestic battery in Polk County, Florida (July 2022)
- Misdemeanor domestic assault in Dakota County, Minnesota (April 2016), after a reduction from a felony assault-by-strangulation charge
Prosecutors said the latest allegations represent an escalation from Avalos’s previous offenses, noting that he used a large social-media platform to promote violence against a public official.
Federal prosecutors said Avalos could face multiple charges, including solicitation to commit murder, interstate transmission of threats, and making threats against a public official. If convicted, he could face decades in prison.
An FBI affidavit described the TikTok post as a “credible and deliberate threat of violence,” not protected under free-speech laws.
The case underscores growing concern among law-enforcement agencies over how violent threats can spread through social-media platforms. Analysts say that while most online extremism remains rhetorical, cases like Avalos’s show how digital activity can quickly escalate into criminal conduct.
Pam Bondi, who previously served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019 and was appointed U.S. attorney general in 2025, has been involved in several high-profile investigations, making her a target for online harassment.
Avalos is expected to appear in federal court later this week for a preliminary hearing. The U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed that additional charges may be filed as investigators examine his online communications and connections.
Federal officials say the case will serve as a test of how the justice system balances free expression with the need to prevent real-world violence.
