The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of 31-year-old Cesar Vizcaya-Raudales, an illegal immigrant, on January 13, 2026 on charges for posting terroristic threats on Facebook targeting Tarrant County Criminal Court Judge Charles Vanover.
According to The Dallas Express, Vizcaya-Raudales was apprehended by Tarrant County deputies following Facebook posts that included statements such as “Kill this judge” alongside the judge’s photo and “Kill law enforcement.” Additionally, he was booked on a harassment warrant from the North Richland Hills Police Department related to an incident in March 2025. He is currently held at Lon Evans Corrections Center with bonds set at $1.5 million and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer in place.
KVUE reported that threats against judges in Texas have surged by 125% over the past year. In response, U.S. Senator John Cornyn’s Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act has passed the Senate. This legislation seeks to establish a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center aimed at providing resources for monitoring and responding to threats against judicial personnel within the state.
The Impact Project highlighted that violent threats against public servants across the United States have significantly increased since 2015. Media reports of such incidents rose from eight in 2015 to 291 in 2025, according to data collected from over 1,100 news reports. These threats impact all levels of government but are particularly concentrated in battleground states against federal personnel, judges, law enforcement officers, and election workers.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office functions as the primary law enforcement agency in Tarrant County, Texas. It is responsible for patrol duties, criminal investigations, jail operations, and public safety services throughout the county from its base in Fort Worth.
