Three men who claim to be former Proud Boys have been hired as poll workers in Miami-Dade County ahead of next week’s midterm elections. However, one of the men, Gabriel Garcia, has been placed on a standby list after the elections department learned he participated in the armed insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.
Miami-Dade poll workers must “be respectful of all voters” and “remain nonpartisan while at the polls,” among other things. But it’s unclear how well the men will adhere to the stipulations.
For instance, following his training as a poll watcher, Garcia boasted about it in a video on social media obtained by the Miami New Times.
“That’s right, you heard it right, I’m working the poll,” he said in the video while wearing a “Fuck Biden” baseball cap. “Cry some more, liberals. Enjoy your day!”
Video reviewed by the FBI also shows Garcia storming the U.S. Capitol in a red “Make America Great Again” hat on Jan. 6 and aggressively confronting police officers, repeatedly calling them “fucking traitors.”
Garcia also calls for “Nancy” to “come out and play” in the video, presumably referencing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The speaker has been violently targeted by the far right even as they spread baseless conspiracies aimed at denying their own actions.
U.S. District Court filings show Garcia faces six federal charges for his conduct on Jan. 6. He’s pleaded not guilty to all counts.
The other two men, identified by Local 10 News as Christopher Barcenas and Nowell Salgueiro, are still scheduled to be credentialed poll workers and have been assigned precincts. Barcenas was also at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, though it’s unclear if he entered the building.
All three were members of the Vice City Proud Boys at one point. It’s difficult to confirm whether Proud Boys, who claim to have renounced the group, have cut ties.
In the past, multiple Proud Boys have claimed to leave the gang — including Gavin McInnes, the group’s founder — only to reemerge alongside other members at rallies and events. McInnes claimed to step down as leader in 2018 after the gang committed felonious assaults in Manhattan but recently mobilized members to his speaking event at Pennsylvania State University, where they attacked students.
All three men are also currently members of the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee, which aims to set the tone for local Republican politics.
