Proud boy leader Joseph Biggs arrested in Florida in connection with the Capitol riot

Joseph Randall Biggs, 37, of Florida was arrested Wednesday and is said to have been reported by the Department of Justice and an affidavit from the FBI. The FBI described Biggs in the affidavit as an organizer for the Proud Boys.

WESH, an affiliate of CNN Orlando, asked Biggs about allegations of rebellion against the Proud Boys and said, “That will be discussed in court.”

Ahead of the Capitol riot, Biggs posted on Parler, the social media platform favored by the far right, telling his followers to mingle and not wear identifiable clothing, a special FBI agent wrote in the affidavit.

“All we’ll do, that’s us, is think like we do! January 6 is going to be epic,” Biggs wrote, according to the affidavit. The document says Biggs also addressed his statements to Antifa.

Authorities say Biggs said, “This is great!” on live stream footage of rioters entering the Capitol, the affidavit said.

The affidavit says it appears that the Proud Boys were wearing earplugs for communication that day.

“Your partner also notes that multiple individuals were photographed or portrayed on videos with earphones, including other individuals believed to be related to the Proud Boys,” the FBI affidavit said.

The allegations are part of a recent wave of federal cases involving planning and organization among far-right groups.

The FBI said Biggs had told agents he entered the Capitol, but not by using force, and denied having knowledge of any planning for the storming of the building.

Biggs has been a fixture in other mass gatherings involving the Proud Boys.

He is known for his extreme rhetoric against Antifa members, the black-clad leftists who claim to fight fascism and often crash far-right events.