Elias Irizarry’s Role and Remorse: A Look at His Path Post-Jan. 6

By June 4, 2026, 6:18 PM EDT, CBS News reported that Elias Irizarry, who pleaded guilty to participating in the Jan. 6 riot as a 19-year-old, currently occupies a sensitive position in the Defense Department. A defense official confirmed this information. Irizarry serves as a special assistant to Assistant Secretary of Defense Derrick Anderson. Anderson heads the military’s Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict policy office, a division responsible for overseeing special operations and irregular warfare capabilities.

As part of his duties, Irizarry holds a top-secret security clearance. He has been an employee at the Defense Department since early last year. Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez verified Irizarry’s employment in a statement on X, describing him as a “qualified, patriotic young professional” and expressing pride in having him as a political appointee.

CBS News sought comments from Irizarry’s attorney following the job revelation. The Washington Post initially reported on Irizarry’s Pentagon position. In early January 2021, federal prosecutors stated that Irizarry, then a student at the Citadel Military College of South Carolina, traveled to Washington with a friend and an online acquaintance. He attended President Trump’s “stop the steal” rally and participated in the march to the Capitol on Jan. 6.

According to prosecutors, Irizarry climbed into the Capitol through a shattered window, spending 27 minutes inside. He entered a conference room and the Capitol rotunda while holding a metal pole. His lawyer noted he entered the building to search for his acquaintance. Irizarry pleaded guilty to one count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, receiving a 14-day incarceration sentence. Former President Trump issued pardons to him and others linked to the Capitol riot on the first day of his second term last year.

During his 2023 sentencing, Irizarry expressed profound remorse. He apologized to police officers involved in response to the riot and admitted his actions brought “great shame” to himself, his family, and his country. He recognized the wrongdoing of Jan. 6 as soon as he departed and viewed video footage of the violence. “I am ashamed because I will always be a part of this disgrace,” he declared, promising to “work as hard as possible every day for the rest of my life to redeem myself.”

Irizarry’s federal public defender highlighted his distinctive remorse and lack of alignment with election denial or conspiracy theories, describing him as a “bright young man” with notable regret. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan described sentencing Irizarry as “one of the most difficult” among Jan. 6 cases due to his age and “commendable” background. She considered writing a recommendation letter if he chose to reapply to the Citadel, which had discharged him.

“Everybody makes mistakes; some are more serious than others, and yours was a big one,” Judge Chutkan remarked during the sentencing hearing. “Life is like that, it takes us on strange journeys. You are at such an early stage in yours, you don’t know what road lies ahead for you. I suspect you are going to make something very remarkable of your life; I hope you do.”