2 men face federal charges for threatening to kill House lawmaker and ICE agents

Two Kansas men charged with threatening congresswoman from Illinois, ICE agents

by Morgan Chilson, Kansas Reflector
January 30, 2026

TOPEKA — A federal grand jury charged two Kansas men, in unrelated cases, for threatening the lives of public officials.

Adam Lee Osborn, 60, of Wichita was indicted after authorities say he threatened on social media to murder U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. He was charged with one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure and one count of influencing, impeding and retaliating against a federal official by threatening, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas.

In the second case, Joaquin Hernandez, 23, of Wichita, was indicted after authorities said he posted a video on social media threatening to assault and murder federal law enforcement agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was charged with one count of interstate communications with threat to injure and one count of retaliating against a federal official by threatening.

“Threats of political violence will not be tolerated,” said U.S. attorney Ryan Kriegshauser. “In a democracy, we settle our differences at the ballot box after robust public debate. For our system of government to work, it’s vital that certain lines are not crossed when it comes to self-expression. Threats of political violence destabilize the very core of our system of governance.”

The Wichita Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated both cases.

Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com.