Exclusive: Anthony Sabatini Condemns Reported Antifa Terrorist at Florida January 6 Rally

State Rep. and U.S. congressional candidate Anthony Sabatini (R) condemned a reported Antifa member who was discovered by local law enforcement allegedly with a homemade explosive device near a Friday January 6 rally where Sabatini spoke.

“Depraved, leftist terrorist Garret Smith was thankfully caught trying to bomb the January 6 rally in which I was speaking about the due process rights of every American,” Sabatini told Breitbart News. “I want to thank Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and his deputies for their quick response and action. I am grateful for the safety of everyone in attendance. By the grace of God, nobody was injured.”

“One of the reasons I am running for Congress is to protect the rights of every American to peacefully assemble. Unfortunately, violence is a pivotal part of the left’s socialist agenda,” Sabatini added.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on Friday apprehended 22-year-old Garrett James Smith, who is accused of possessing a homemade explosive device close by to the location where Sabatini was speaking at a January 6 rally in Central Florida, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.

Smith was allegedly arrested for “making and possessing a destructive device and loitering. He remains in jail on a bond of $300,000,” the Tampa Bay Times reported about the incident:

When deputies searched a black backpack Smith had, they found a homemade pipe-style explosive device, Gualtieri said. Sheriff’s deputies found a piece of paper titled “direct action checklist,” where Smith made a list of clothing, armor and gear to bring, including listed items such as a helmet and shaded goggles, a gas mask, duct tape and flammable rags.

…

In affidavits, the arresting detective, under the “aggravating/mitigating” section of the report, notes “Antifa” and requests a high bail. In one of the reports, the detective wrote “Antifa/Anti gov/Extrem.”

…

Deputies obtained a search warrant for Smith’s house, where they found another pipe explosive, along with hand grenade-style explosives, nails and duct tape, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

“Smith is what we call a sleeper, and these are the most concerning individuals because there are no opportunities to intervene and thwart their criminal activity before they actually act,” Gualtieri said about the situation.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø