Topline: A federal jury found Tristan Langston guilty of threatening to kill two agents and their families in a series of online posts.
Published: August 13, 2025 8:30 am ET
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Tristan Langston (via Lubbock County Jail)
LUBBOCK, TX — A Texas man who once accused the federal government of covering up attacks on U.S. soil has now been convicted of threatening to kill two U.S. Secret Service agents and their families, following a years-long spiral from online rants to criminal threats.
Tristan Rene Langston, 37, was found guilty by a federal jury on Thursday, August 7, after a four-day trial in Lubbock. The jury convicted him on two federal counts: transmitting threats in interstate commerce and threatening a federal law enforcement officer, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The charges stem from a disturbing message Langston posted on X.com (formerly Twitter) on February 21, 2025. In that post, he named two Secret Service agents, invoked the Second Amendment, and wrote: “Gonna slit the throats of agents and their families.”
While Langston’s social media had long been filled with inflammatory language and sweeping conspiracy claims, federal prosecutors argued that this time he crossed a legal line—shifting from fringe rhetoric to direct, targeted threats.
According to evidence presented at trial, Langston had been on the Secret Service’s radar since 2023, when he made online threats against former President Barack Obama. Although agents at the time deemed those threats “idle” after an in-person interview, the interaction appeared to spark a deeper obsession.
Court documents obtained by KLBK revealed that Langston began sending emails and posting online messages accusing the Secret Service of various crimes and conspiracies.
His fixation zeroed in on two specific agents. Prosecutors told the jury that over the following months, Langston repeatedly targeted one of the agents and his family in social media posts and documented his anger in videos and notes on his phone—some going back years. According to the Justice Department, he knew the threats would be understood as retaliation for the 2023 investigation.
“Targeting federal agents and their families with threats of violence is not protected speech—it is a federal crime,” Acting U.S. Attorney Larson said in a statement following the conviction. “This verdict reaffirms our office’s commitment to take all threats seriously and to hold accountable those who try to intimidate and terrorize our law enforcement partners.”
Langston’s defense did not dispute that the statements were made but reportedly sought to portray them as expressions of frustration or political speech. The jury disagreed.
“We commend the jury’s decision,” said Christina Foley, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Dallas Field Office. “Threats against federal law enforcement officers and their loved ones are taken with the utmost seriousness, and this verdict reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting those who serve.”
Langston remains in custody at the Lubbock County Detention Center under a federal hold. He faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and is scheduled for sentencing on November 6, 2025.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Years After Threats to Obama, Texas Man Convicted for Threatening Secret Service Agents
A federal jury found Tristan Langston guilty of threatening to kill two agents and their families in a series of online posts.
By Jacob Charles
Published: August 13, 2025 8:30 am ET
Tristan Langston (via Lubbock County Jail)
LUBBOCK, TX — A Texas man who once accused the federal government of covering up attacks on U.S. soil has now been convicted of threatening to kill two U.S. Secret Service agents and their families, following a years-long spiral from online rants to criminal threats.
Tristan Rene Langston, 37, was found guilty by a federal jury on Thursday, August 7, after a four-day trial in Lubbock. The jury convicted him on two federal counts: transmitting threats in interstate commerce and threatening a federal law enforcement officer, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The charges stem from a disturbing message Langston posted on X.com (formerly Twitter) on February 21, 2025. In that post, he named two Secret Service agents, invoked the Second Amendment, and wrote: “Gonna slit the throats of agents and their families.”
While Langston’s social media had long been filled with inflammatory language and sweeping conspiracy claims, federal prosecutors argued that this time he crossed a legal line—shifting from fringe rhetoric to direct, targeted threats.
According to evidence presented at trial, Langston had been on the Secret Service’s radar since 2023, when he made online threats against former President Barack Obama. Although agents at the time deemed those threats “idle” after an in-person interview, the interaction appeared to spark a deeper obsession.
Court documents obtained by KLBK revealed that Langston began sending emails and posting online messages accusing the Secret Service of various crimes and conspiracies.
His fixation zeroed in on two specific agents. Prosecutors told the jury that over the following months, Langston repeatedly targeted one of the agents and his family in social media posts and documented his anger in videos and notes on his phone—some going back years. According to the Justice Department, he knew the threats would be understood as retaliation for the 2023 investigation.
“Targeting federal agents and their families with threats of violence is not protected speech—it is a federal crime,” Acting U.S. Attorney Larson said in a statement following the conviction. “This verdict reaffirms our office’s commitment to take all threats seriously and to hold accountable those who try to intimidate and terrorize our law enforcement partners.”
Langston’s defense did not dispute that the statements were made but reportedly sought to portray them as expressions of frustration or political speech. The jury disagreed.
“We commend the jury’s decision,” said Christina Foley, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Dallas Field Office. “Threats against federal law enforcement officers and their loved ones are taken with the utmost seriousness, and this verdict reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting those who serve.”
Langston remains in custody at the Lubbock County Detention Center under a federal hold. He faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and is scheduled for sentencing on November 6, 2025.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Years After Threats to Obama, Texas Man Convicted for Threatening Secret Service Agents
A federal jury found Tristan Langston guilty of threatening to kill two agents and their families in a series of online posts.
By Jacob Charles
Published: August 13, 2025 8:30 am ET
Tristan Langston (via Lubbock County Jail)
LUBBOCK, TX — A Texas man who once accused the federal government of covering up attacks on U.S. soil has now been convicted of threatening to kill two U.S. Secret Service agents and their families, following a years-long spiral from online rants to criminal threats.
Tristan Rene Langston, 37, was found guilty by a federal jury on Thursday, August 7, after a four-day trial in Lubbock. The jury convicted him on two federal counts: transmitting threats in interstate commerce and threatening a federal law enforcement officer, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The charges stem from a disturbing message Langston posted on X.com (formerly Twitter) on February 21, 2025. In that post, he named two Secret Service agents, invoked the Second Amendment, and wrote: “Gonna slit the throats of agents and their families.”
While Langston’s social media had long been filled with inflammatory language and sweeping conspiracy claims, federal prosecutors argued that this time he crossed a legal line—shifting from fringe rhetoric to direct, targeted threats.
According to evidence presented at trial, Langston had been on the Secret Service’s radar since 2023, when he made online threats against former President Barack Obama. Although agents at the time deemed those threats “idle” after an in-person interview, the interaction appeared to spark a deeper obsession.
Court documents obtained by KLBK revealed that Langston began sending emails and posting online messages accusing the Secret Service of various crimes and conspiracies.
His fixation zeroed in on two specific agents. Prosecutors told the jury that over the following months, Langston repeatedly targeted one of the agents and his family in social media posts and documented his anger in videos and notes on his phone—some going back years. According to the Justice Department, he knew the threats would be understood as retaliation for the 2023 investigation.
“Targeting federal agents and their families with threats of violence is not protected speech—it is a federal crime,” Acting U.S. Attorney Larson said in a statement following the conviction. “This verdict reaffirms our office’s commitment to take all threats seriously and to hold accountable those who try to intimidate and terrorize our law enforcement partners.”
Langston’s defense did not dispute that the statements were made but reportedly sought to portray them as expressions of frustration or political speech. The jury disagreed.
“We commend the jury’s decision,” said Christina Foley, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Dallas Field Office. “Threats against federal law enforcement officers and their loved ones are taken with the utmost seriousness, and this verdict reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting those who serve.”
Langston remains in custody at the Lubbock County Detention Center under a federal hold. He faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and is scheduled for sentencing on November 6, 2025.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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