Video threat against BLM that included assault rifle sends Texas man to prison, feds say

A Texas man accused of threatening to kill Black Lives Matter protesters in a racist tirade captured on video is going to prison, authorities say.

Manuel Flores, 43, was sentenced to 21 months in prison Tuesday after he was arrested by FBI agents in June, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas. The El Paso man pleaded guilty in October to posting a threatening communication over the internet.

“During this time of polarized political discord, peaceful protest is an important right that must be safeguarded and those who threaten to harm others, commit acts of violence, destroy property or attack law enforcement must be held accountable for their criminal behavior,” U.S. Attorney Gregg Sofer said in a news release.. “Now more than ever we must respect the rule of law.”

In June, Flores uploaded a YouTube video titled “N----- Lives Matter” with an AR-15-style rifle at his feet, authorities say. In the video, Flores said he planned to travel to Dallas and dared people associated with Black Lives Matter to “stop him,” authorities say.

“My dream is to take out at least 200 n------,” Flores said in the video, according to authorities.

Flores was met by FBI personnel at his El Paso home and confirmed he made the video after drinking eight or nine beers, court records show. He deleted the video in front of FBI agents, a criminal complaint says.

He spoke with a southern accent in the video, but he did not speak with that dialect when speaking with FBI officials.

Flores had been in federal custody since his arrest in June. He will be on three years of supervised release after completing his prison term, authorities say.

“(Tuesday’s) sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who would choose to threaten or harm others – you will be federally prosecuted and sent to federal prison,” Sofer said.