From the Justice Department:
A Florida woman has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to her conduct during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Barbara Balmaseda, 23, of Miami Lakes, Florida, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of obstruction of an official proceeding and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
Balmaseda was arrested on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in Miami Lakes and made her initial appearance in the Southern District of Florida.
According to the allegations contained in court documents, Balmaseda traveled from Florida to Washington, D.C., to protest the result of the 2020 presidential election.
Prior to her arrival in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021, Balmaseda exchanged messages with several associates in which she participated in communications reflecting her belief that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen and her knowledge about the certification process scheduled to take place on Jan. 6, 2021.
On January 6th, Balmaseda was photographed in Black Lives Matter Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C. Shortly after, at about 2:00 p.m., Balmaseda approached the Capitol building with another individual and was in position to see the crowd of rioters climbing the scaffolding on the west side of the Capitol and plumes of smoke that billowed into the air.
By this time, rioters had overwhelmed officers on the west front, bypassed the officer lines, and gained access to the northwest stairs of the Capitol. Around 2:09 p.m., rioters pushed past officers on the middle landing of the stairs and surged toward the Capitol building.
According to the allegations, Balmaseda was present towards the front of the mob of rioters on the west front of the Capitol grounds. Balmaseda and the other individual then climbed on equipment that had been staged in preparation for the Presidential Inauguration to gain closer access to the Capitol’s northwest stairs.
Balmaseda and another individual climbed on top of the concrete stairs and up the balustrade toward the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol.
U.S. Capitol Police closed-circuit television (CCTV) captured Balmaseda entering the Capitol building via the Senate Wing door at approximately 2:16 p.m., just four minutes after rioters initially breached the building.
According to the allegations, when Balmaseda entered the building, broken glass was scattered on the ground, and an alarm blared near the doorway. After entering the Capitol, Balmaseda made her way toward the Crypt and pushed her way to the front of a crowd of rioters who were confronting a police line.
The mob eventually overran the police line and proceeded into the Crypt. Balmaseda moved forward, joined a crowd of rioters, and headed towards an area known as the “OAP Corridor,” where another line of officers initially blocked a hallway. The officers eventually backed away, and the rioters, including Balmaseda, continued to move forward.
Balmaseda then made her way back to the Crypt and eventually entered the Rotunda, where she took photographs and exited the area at approximately 2:53 p.m., Balmaseda returned to the Rotunda and stood nearby as a group of rioters attempted to push through an officer line.
At approximately 3:11 p.m., law enforcement officers received additional support in the Rotunda and were able to corral rioters, Balmaseda included, towards the nearest exit, the Rotunda doors.
Read the full press release.
We helped expose Miami GOP activist & former Marco Rubio intern Barbara Balmaseda #PinkGaiterPBG as being inside the Capitol alongside the Proud Boys on Jan 6.
She’s still active & serves as a current At-Large Director for Miami Young Republicans @MiamiYRs. pic.twitter.com/R19iJbJ3LN
— Miami Against Fascism 🌴☕️ (@MIAagainstFash) May 17, 2023
BREAKING – Miami Young Republican @MiamiYRs board member & Proud Boy associate Barbara “Barby” Balmaseda is finally arrested on felony charges for her role in Jan 6th. #PinkGaiterPBG
She’s well connected in local GOP circles and we’ve been tracking her the whole time… 1/ https://t.co/WRjLd5fNIj pic.twitter.com/9JFjszhaEs
— Miami Against Fascism 🌴☕️ (@MIAagainstFash) December 18, 2023
As we’ve documented, Barbara Balmaseda is well connected to the Miami GOP establishment: doing interviews with FL GOP Chair Christian Ziegler & then Miami GOP chair Rene Garcia & hosting their 2021 Xmas party.
Her fiancé Brandon Diaz was even briefly Miami GOP Exec Director. 8/ pic.twitter.com/kkfrLou1T5
— Miami Against Fascism 🌴☕️ (@MIAagainstFash) December 18, 2023
Indicted J6 Miami GOP figure Barbara Balmaseda’s fiancé Brandon Diaz has close not just with important political figures but also to Miami’s far-right scene: Moms for Liberty and Christian nationalist group affiliated with Micheal Flynn, CDF (formerly CCDF, see alt-text). 9/ pic.twitter.com/q5TJhzntk1
— Miami Against Fascism 🌴☕️ (@MIAagainstFash) December 18, 2023
Barbara Balmaseda and future hubby Brandon Diaz were also part of a far-right coalition in 2021 which included the Proud Boys called American Patriot Community (later APC Foundation) founded by current Miami commissioner Rob Gonzalez. 10/ pic.twitter.com/DV4hTPZFNJ
— Miami Against Fascism 🌴☕️ (@MIAagainstFash) December 18, 2023
Here’s Barbara Balmaseda in 2020 alongside Proud Boy supporters Frank de Varona (center w purple shirt, also head of Miami John Birch Society) and the infamous “Cuban confederate” Christopher Monzon (left of Varona, giving thumbs up). 11/ pic.twitter.com/0d1zI8R6v6
— Miami Against Fascism 🌴☕️ (@MIAagainstFash) December 18, 2023
Arrest warrant for J6 rioter & Miami GOP operative Barbara Balmaseda #PinkGaiterPBG has all the receipts on her association with the Proud Boys: she flew together with PB Gabriel Garcia and formed a chat with them called “Barby’s Security Detail.” 12/https://t.co/8Shevo3xet pic.twitter.com/k6RDD7b8zj
— Miami Against Fascism 🌴☕️ (@MIAagainstFash) December 18, 2023