HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A man was recently arrested and criminally charged in connection with a Facebook post threatening to assassinate President David W. Panuelo of the Federated States of Micronesia over the defendant’s objection to the Covid-19 mandate in the island nation, the FSM president’s office announced in a press release Saturday.
Criminal charges were filed against the defendant, who was not named in the FSM president’s press release. The charges are related to “making threats of bodily harm, among others, in retaliation of a decision made in connection with the mandatory Covid-19 vaccination for all eligible FSM citizens residing in the FSM.”
Prior to the arrest, the FSM National Police investigators were able to link the defendant to the Facebook post making the threat of assassination against President Panuelo. The FSM investigators had the help of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and other authorities and were able to reach out and secure critical pieces of information from Facebook, Google, and other relevant entities, regarding this matter, according to the president’s office.
“Over the course of their duties, the national prosecutors and police investigators asked the FSM Supreme Court for the issuance of a search warrant that would give authority under the law, and the rules of the court, to search the residence, vehicle, and place of employment of the defendant in connection with the illegal Facebook post. The police investigators were able to serve and execute the search warrant peacefully and safely,” the FSM president’s office stated.
David Panuelo
