Pentagon Appoints Elias Irizarry, Who Participated in January 6 Capitol Riot at Age 19, to Special Operations Office

The Pentagon appointed Elias Irizarry to a position in the irregular warfare and counterterrorism section of the Department of Defense’s Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict office. The assignment gives him access to a portfolio that includes embassy security, personnel recovery and hostage rescue, all of which require a top-secret security clearance.

Irizarry was 19 years old when he pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building during the January 6, 2021, Capitol events.

Court records show he was sentenced to 14 days in jail. Five people died during or immediately after the attack, and four police officers who responded later died by suicide. ” Judge Tanya Chutkan described his pre-riot record as “quite commendable” and offered to write a letter supporting his readmission to the Citadel military academy.

Irizarry was discharged from the Citadel after the events but was later readmitted and graduated in 2024. He ran unsuccessfully for a South Carolina state legislative seat in the 2024 Republican primary. The Washington Post first reported the appointment and published a photograph of Irizarry on January 6 wearing a Make America Great Again hat and holding what appeared to be a metal pole.

Pentagon officials voiced internal dismay that someone with this record had been placed in the role, according to people familiar with the matter. Joel Valdez, the Pentagon’s acting press secretary, defended the decision. “Mr Elias Irizarry is a qualified, patriotic young professional, and we are proud to have him as a political appointee at the Department of War,” Valdez said.

The appointment was reported on June 2, 2026.