Minnesota man convicted of posting threat against ex-Trump attorney general

Paul Walsh, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Nov 5, 2026

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MINNEAPOLIS — Jurors have convicted a self-described anarchist from St. Paul who was accused of posting on TikTok a bounty on the life of Pam Bondi while she was U.S. attorney general.

A federal court jury on Wednesday found Tyler M. Avalos, 30, guilty of making an interstate transmission of threat with the intent to injure in connection with the posting that included an offer of $45,000 “dead or alive” with “(preferably dead).”

The “Wanted: Pam Bondi” posting also featured a photo of her with a sniper’s red dot on her forehead and a hint from Avalos about what inspired the threat: “when they don’t serve us then what?”

During her time as U.S. attorney general until President Donald Trump removed her in February 2026 in favor of Todd Blanche, Bondi played an active role in the White House’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota dubbed Operation Metro Surge.

Following the conviction, U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Dan Rosen noted that his office has pursued prosecutions for an array of politically motivated violent acts. Those cases include convictions in the killing of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark; the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette; the spraying of vinegar on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar while she spoke at a town hall in north Minneapolis; and the charging of 15 people accused of conspiring to impede immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota this year.

“The jury’s guilty verdict ... is the result of the continuing campaign by my office and federal law enforcement to target those that threaten violence in the political arena,” a statement from Rosen read. “As American society continues to be more politically polarized, those that threaten, commit, or induce others to commit acts of political violence are becoming more numerous, more brazen and more dangerous.”

Avalos remains free on bond ahead of sentencing, which has yet to be scheduled. The Minnesota Star Tribune has reached out to his attorney for a response to the verdict.

Avalos’ posting came to the attention of the FBI in October 2025 thanks to information from a TikTok user in Detroit, according to the criminal complaint.

Avalos’ TikTok profile page included an anarchist FAQ book and the spelling of “wacko” with an anarchist symbol for the second letter, the complaint noted. It also included the words “Make John Brown Proud,” who in 1859 attempted to incite an armed rebellion among enslaved Black people by raiding a federal armory.

Prosecutors also alleged that Avalos used several social media platforms to celebrate the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. His accounts also made references to Luigi Mangione, the accused assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. One posting allegedly featured an image of a sticker that read “be the Luigi you want to see in the world,” followed by a widely circulated anarchist symbol.

At the time he was charged in federal court, Avalos was on supervised probation stemming from a felony harassment conviction in state court for assaulting a woman for years while they lived together in Eagan. He also has at least two other domestic assault convictions on his record, according to state court filings.