Welcome to Arrest Stories. A twenty-year-old West Virginia man was arrested on federal charges after allegedly threatening to kill ICE agents during a phone call to a federal tip line. Here's what may have happened.

On January sixteenth, Cody Lee Smith allegedly called the ICE Tip Line and made direct threats to kill any Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents he encountered in Clarksburg, West Virginia. According to police reports, Smith had been making what authorities described as antagonistic posts and videos online targeting ICE agents, Trump supporters, war supporters, and service members he referred to as willing to bootlick.

The U.S. Secret Service investigation led them to identify Smith's Instagram page, which allegedly contained a video recording of the threatening phone call he had made to the ICE Tip Line. The social media evidence became a crucial component in building the federal case against the twenty-year-old.

Six days after the initial threat was made, on January twenty-second, federal authorities executed a search warrant at Smith's residence. During the search, Smith was taken into custody by law enforcement officers. Authorities also seized his cellphone as evidence in the ongoing investigation.

The case moved through the court system, with a preliminary hearing held on February third at the Harrison County Magistrate Court. Judge Warren Davis presided over the hearing and determined there was probable cause to proceed with the charges against Smith. The defendant is facing charges related to making terroristic threats against federal agents.

A spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations emphasized the seriousness of threats against federal agents, stating, "HSI is committed to actively pursuing anyone who threatens the brave agents and officers who protect our communities. We will work tirelessly to investigate these threats and ensure those responsible are brought to justice."

Smith's case highlights federal law enforcement's approach to investigating and prosecuting threats made against immigration officials and other federal personnel through digital platforms and official communication channels.

All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.