A candidate for the California State Assembly, who has been recognized by YSL News for entering the Capitol on January 6, has also propagated strange antisemitic conspiracy theories, according to recent findings. Additionally, there are reports regarding extremism within the U.S. military, and a boat carrying Nazi flags joined a Trump rally in Florida, facing backlash.

It’s been a week marked by extremism.

California Assembly Candidate Promotes Strange Antisemitic Theories

In March, YSL News released an investigation into Denise Aguilar Mendez, who is running for the California State Assembly. The investigation revealed that online researchers recognized her in footage of the January 6 Capitol incident. Mendez has not faced any charges regarding her actions that day. New research from the left-leaning watchdog group Media Matters for America indicates she has also shared absurd antisemitic conspiracy theories.

On Friday, the Sacramento Bee published that Aguilar pleaded guilty to welfare fraud in 2020, serving a 20-day jail sentence.

• Media Matters reported that in 2019, Aguilar shared a video promoting “a bizarre and antisemitic conspiracy theory” which claimed that the power was intentionally shut off in parts of California to obstruct the Rothschild family—an influential Jewish family—from trafficking children.
• Aguilar is the Republican candidate for California Assembly District 13, which encompasses Stockton, Tracy, and a large portion of San Joaquin County. On March 5, she secured second place in the district’s open primary with 37.9% of the vote and is set to compete against a Democratic opponent in the upcoming election.
• In her video, she states, “The Rothschilds are in control of our finances. The Federal Reserve is not a government organization but a private entity owned by these families who manage our money. This is just another topic to explore.”
• Aguilar co-founded an organization named Freedom Angels, which describes its mission as “Political strategy & grassroots organizing to protect children,” and played a key role in assembling a large anti-lockdown protest in Sacramento in May 2020, drawing around 1,000 participants.
• The article from the Sacramento Bee elaborated on Aguilar’s 2020 plea agreement with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s office: “She was sentenced to 40 days in jail (later shortened to 20 days), three years of probation, required 120 hours of community service, and restitution of $10,984. She completed her sentence in February 2023,” the Bee reported.
• Aguilar has not returned requests for comment.

Report: Military Personnel are Becoming More Involved with Extremism

According to recent reports from the Associated Press, U.S. military personnel, some with training in explosives and military tactics, are gravitating towards extremist ideologies after their service.

• The AP highlighted the case of Chris Arthur, a former Army cavalry scout who served two tours in Iraq. After leaving the National Guard, he was radicalized and became involved in far-right extremism. In May, Arthur was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison following his conviction on weapons and bomb-making charges.
• The AP’s analysis of domestic terrorism data revealed that while overall radicalization in the population has been accelerating, individuals with military backgrounds are doing so at an even quicker pace. Their extremist plans are frequently linked to weapons training or firearms, contrasting with plots involving non-military individuals.
• As previously reported by YSL News, attempts by the military to mitigate extremism among its ranks have largely stagnated. Following the January 6 insurrection, numerous recommendations for reform were made, few of which have been executed even three years later.

Nazi Flags Appear at Florida Trump Rally

During a Trump rally on a boat in Jupiter, Florida on Sunday, a vessel was spotted flying both Trump and swastika flags.

• An organizer of the rally condemned the neo-Nazis on the boat, referring to them as “scum,” in a video shared on Facebook that showed another boat splashing water on them.
• Men on the boat carrying the swastika flags shouted “Hail Trump” and “Make America white again,” among other slogans.
• The individuals aboard were associated with hate groups like Order of the Black Sun and Goyim Defense League, both known for provocative actions, often showcasing swastika flags.

Statistic of the week: One out of 26

A recent study conducted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue…

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Research identified 26 instances of live streams on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and X that breached the respective content policies.

The analyzed live streams featured antisemitic messages, denial of election results, and incitements to violence against politicians.

According to the ISD, only one of these offending streams was taken down.