Florida GOP Party Leader Arrested For Her Role In January 6 Riot & Breaching The Capitol’s Crypt With The Proud Boys

A 23-year-old South Florida woman with ties to the state Republican Party and GOP officials was recently arrested by federal authorities for her alleged involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. 

Barbara “Barby” Balmaseda, who had previously interned for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and worked as a campaign organizer for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Florida), now faces charges related to the riot.

Court documents reveal that Balmaseda is charged with one felony and four misdemeanors connected to the events of January 6. She is accused of breaching the Crypt inside the Capitol alongside a member of the Proud Boys, who was previously found guilty of two felony charges related to the attempt to disrupt Congress.

An unnamed FBI agent cited that in the complaint, open-source and CCTV footage showed that the mob overran the police line in the Crypt, and Balmaseda moved forward with the crowd. Prior to the riot, Balmaseda was an active member of the GOP in South Florida. She held positions such as director-at-large of the Miami Young Republicans and served as a committeewoman for the party. However, she resigned from her leadership role after photos emerged of her at the Capitol during the riot.

Balmaseda was arrested in Miami Lakes on December 14 by a task force that consisted of the FBI, Marshals, ATF, and Metro-Dade Police. Her attorney, Aubrey Webb, criticized the arrest as a waste of law enforcement resources since the charges amounted to “essentially trespassing.”

The charges against Balmaseda include attempting to obstruct congressional proceedings, knowingly entering and remaining in a restricted building, and engaging in disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. Webb emphasized that Balmaseda is not charged with violence or destruction of property.

Webb further criticized the FBI’s focus on trespassers without criminal histories and suggested that resources could be better allocated to apprehend individuals responsible for the pipe bombs left at the DNC and RNC offices on Capitol Hill on January 5, 2021.

Balmaseda’s connection to the federal investigation into the events of January 6 arose from messages that linked her to Gabriel Garcia, a former member of the Proud Boys and the Miami-Dade Republican Party Executive Committee.

Investigators compiled evidence that indicated Balmaseda and Garcia were together at the Capitol on that day. Garcia recorded a video of the riot which showed the chaos in the Crypt, with Balmaseda visible in the footage. Additionally, Balmaseda and Garcia took a selfie outside the Capitol, which was later used as evidence.

Garcia, who also hails from Miami, was previously found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding and interference with law enforcement during a civil disorder, both of which are felonies.

Last week, Trump ally Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania) was ordered to turn over hundreds of text messages he sent on January 6 to prosecutors.