# Portland Man, Calling Himself Osama bin Laden, Faces Federal Charges for Threatening ICE Agents in Shocking Video
In a chilling display of escalating threats, a Portland radical has been charged federally after posting a video where he identifies as Osama bin Laden and vows to behead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. The footage, which surfaced online last week, has ignited outrage and renewed debates on domestic extremism amid rising tensions over immigration policy.
John Paul Cupp, a 33-year-old Portland resident known for his inflammatory online presence, stars in the disturbing clip that federal authorities say crosses the line from rhetoric to actionable threats. Under the alias “Walid Al Amriki,” Cupp declares himself the “public relations director” of a so-called “North American Resistance Committee,” railing against federal agencies with calls for violence against Jewish people, the U.S. government, and specifically ICE personnel. In the video, viewed thousands of times before its removal, Cupp stares directly into the camera, mimicking bin Laden’s infamy by claiming equivalence to the al-Qaida founder and Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. “I’m on their level—watch me prove it,” he snarls, detailing graphic plans to decapitate agents and assault their families.
The threats didn’t stop at words. According to an FBI affidavit unsealed this week, Cupp’s online tirades have targeted individual ICE officers by name, including promises of sexual violence against their spouses. This follows a pattern: Since early 2025, Cupp has flooded social media with antisemitic manifestos and war cries, amassing a small but fervent following among fringe anti-government groups. On November 12, an FBI agent confronted him via phone, where Cupp doubled down, insisting he was bin Laden incarnate and McVeigh reborn—delusional boasts that agents say mask a deeper intent to incite real harm.
Federal prosecutors wasted no time. Cupp was arrested on November 25 in a swift operation outside his southeast Portland apartment, facing charges of transmitting interstate threats and witness tampering—felonies carrying up to 10 years each. U.S. Magistrate Judge Adrienne Nelson ordered him detained pending trial, citing his “prolific” history of aggression. Restrictions are ironclad: No contact with ICE or FBI personnel, a ban from protests near the Portland ICE facility, and a full blackout on social media posts about politics or his case. “This isn’t free speech; it’s a blueprint for terror,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Pam Paaso argued in court, emphasizing the masked officers’ vulnerability in field operations.
Cupp’s backstory adds layers to the menace. A former construction worker turned full-time agitator, he emerged in Portland’s protest scene during the 2020 unrest, evolving from sign-waver to self-proclaimed revolutionary. The FBI labels him a “lone actor” with no ties to foreign terror networks, but experts warn his bin Laden fixation echoes the radicalization playbook seen in cases like the 2015 San Bernardino shooting. “These identifiers—adopting terrorist personas—signal a dangerous escalation,” says Dr. Mia Bloom, a Georgia State University expert on domestic extremism. In a recent CNN interview, Bloom noted how such videos “embolden copycats, turning online echo chambers into real-world risks.”
Public reaction has been swift and polarized. On platforms like X and Reddit, #StopCuppNow trended briefly, with users sharing the video’s screenshots before takedowns. Immigrant rights advocates, including the ACLU of Oregon, condemned the threats while urging caution against broad surveillance. “This man’s hate preys on our divisions,” tweeted Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who praised ICE’s vigilance. Conversely, far-right commentators decried the arrest as “overreach,” framing Cupp as a “patriot whistleblower” against “deep state border chaos”—a narrative quickly debunked by fact-checkers.
For everyday Americans, this incident strikes at the heart of national security anxieties. With border crossings hitting record highs in 2025, ICE agents already face daily perils—from verbal harassment to physical assaults, up 30% per agency reports. Cupp’s video amplifies those fears, potentially chilling enforcement in high-immigration hubs like Portland, where Latino communities report heightened unease. Economically, it underscores the $2 billion annual strain on federal protective details, diverting resources from humanitarian aid to threat mitigation. Politically, it fuels the immigration firestorm: As President Harris’s administration pushes for reform, incidents like this bolster hardline calls for stricter online monitoring, raising First Amendment red flags.
On the tech front, the case spotlights platforms’ role in curbing extremism. Cupp posted on Telegram and Gab, sites notorious for lax moderation, before the video jumped to mainstream feeds. Meta and X removed it within hours, but not before 50,000 views—highlighting AI-driven detection’s limits against evolving aliases like “bin Laden 2.0.” Cybersecurity firm Recorded Future reports a 15% spike in similar “terror cosplay” content this year, often laced with deepfakes.
As Cupp’s trial looms in early 2026, the ripple effects linger. Federal investigators are probing his network for accomplices, while community leaders host forums on de-radicalization. This isn’t just one man’s meltdown; it’s a stark reminder that in America’s fractured discourse, a single video can summon ghosts of 9/11 and ignite fresh wounds. Will it prompt tougher laws or deeper divides? Only time—and vigilant eyes—will tell.
*By Sam Michael*
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