Armed Man Arrested After Attempting To Infiltrate U.S. Military Base

Well, this is probably the strangest story you will read all day, but here we go.

Early last month, a Florida man known as Baruch Roche allegedly attempted to infiltrate MacDill Air Force base under pretenses that he had ‘top-secret’ information from U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

The 33-year-old reportedly refused to give the personnel at the gate identification and instead told them that he was ‘Captain America.’ During the interaction Roche allegedly became confrontational.

Sources say he was eventually apprehended and detained after he finally gave the gate personnel his now-retired military ID. During a search conducted at the gate, military authorities found an AR-15 and 125 rounds of ammo in his trunk.

Here’s what I want to know: what caused this guy to do this? By all accounts, Roche was a mild-mannered former executive at Citibank and a veteran.

Who just rolls up to a military base, alone and armed, claiming to be Captain America? Especially a guy who appears normal in all other aspects of his life? It is odd, to say the least. I wasn’t the only one with questions:

🚨 LIVE NOW 🚨
Discussing the thwarted terror attempt by Baruch Roche who tried to storm into MacDill AFB with an AR-15, claiming he is CAPTAIN AMERICA.

He's a former executive at Citibank. What caused him to do this? https://t.co/CzLjO273WP

— JLR© (@JLRINVESTIGATES) December 20, 2023

This Army veteran Baruch Roche was just INDICTED by the DOJ for storming MacDill AFB in Tampa Florida armed with a AR-15 while claiming he was "Captain America."
Deep dive into this guy 👇https://t.co/uCTVG5tIKo https://t.co/dR0he7TOUA pic.twitter.com/deMqLzIXK5

— JLR© (@JLRINVESTIGATES) December 20, 2023

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida outlined the incident:

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Baruch Roche II (33, Tampa) with one count of attempted possession of a firearm in a federal facility.

If convicted, Roche faces a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Roche that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition that were used to facilitate the offense.

According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on November 3, 2023, Roche attempted to enter MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa in his vehicle. U.S. Air Force security personnel stopped him at the gate and asked for identification. Roche refused to provide it.

Roche instead identified himself as “Captain America” and demanded entry, stating that he had a meeting with a General of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to provide top secret information.

Roche became argumentative and threatened to come back every day to look for the officers denying him entry. Due to his suspicious behavior, Roche was detained and security personnel searched his vehicle. An AR-15 rifle was located in the trunk, as well as five magazines loaded with 125 rounds of ammunition.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Security Forces, the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Baruch Roche, 33, allegedly told officials at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida that he was "Captain America" to get onto the base to meet a general to provide top secret info the Justice Dept said. but couldn't even get past security, fed prosecutors said. 🙄"Oh Brother!" pic.twitter.com/NgHnmPYCZm

— Sumner (@renmusb1) December 21, 2023

🤔… this guy?! https://t.co/RfzAdEjJBO

— Denise 'You have fouled your nest, not us' (@thebax33) December 20, 2023

Fox News provided this update:

The Tampa Police Department also responded to the scene and interviewed Roche.

Officials say Roche was involuntarily hospitalized \ due to his extreme state of paranoia, psychosis and threat to harm USAF security personnel.