SAN ANTONIO — Jay Anthony Villarreal, 25, was found guilty by a federal jury in San Antonio on July 2, 2025, on a charge of interstate threatening communication. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons announced the conviction.

Villarreal's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21. Federal law sets the maximum penalty for the charge at five years in prison.

According to court records, Villarreal intended to overthrow the United States government when he departed his Hondo residence on June 28, 2025. He planned to drive to Washington, D.C. Villarreal possessed an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol, and a 9mm semiautomatic pistol in his vehicle. He also had a Bible, a copy of the Texas Penal Code, extra loaded magazines, multiple boxes of ammunition, a police scanner, and binoculars.

Villarreal used social media to attempt to recruit military veterans to join him. An acquaintance viewed this social media activity and reported it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and a second acquaintance reported concerns regarding Villarreal's potential actions to the Hondo Police Department. Family members contacted Villarreal and advised him to return home while he was traveling.

Villarreal returned to his Hondo residence around 8 p.m. on June 29, 2025. The FBI searched his home later that day. Agents recovered two U.S. military smoke grenades, the firearms, and the other materials from the residence. Law enforcement arrested Villarreal on July 2, 2025.

"Thankfully, in this case, friends and family members recognized the veracity of the threat and contacted the FBI, preventing what could have been a mass casualty event." Simmons said. "That single decision can lead to a swift response and lives saved, as it did in this case."

No independent assessment of Jay Anthony Villarreal’s claims was available.