A 68-year-old Santa Monica man was arrested Monday on federal charges alleging he doxxed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorney by posting her home address online and directing others to "swat" her residence.
Gregory John Curcio appeared Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, where a federal magistrate judge ordered him held without bond and scheduled his arraignment for Oct. 14. He faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted of violating laws designed to protect federal employees from harassment.
"Contrary to what some misguided individuals think, doxxing federal agents and employees is not a harmless crime," said Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. "It endangers the agent's personal safety and that of their family."
According to a federal complaint, Curcio created a Facebook post in February that identified the victim — an ICE attorney — as an ICE agent, posted her home address and directed others to "swat" her at that location. He also posted similar instructions on another social media account he controlled.
"Swatting" involves making false emergency calls to law enforcement to prompt a significant police response at a specific address, often reporting fabricated crises or crimes.
The victim told authorities she had never met Curcio but knew he was a former resident at her mother's Santa Monica apartment building. She said Curcio had harassed and threatened her mother for years and began targeting her family in January 2024.
Federal investigators say Curcio's harassment campaign extended far beyond the doxxing incident. According to court documents, he repeatedly asked the victim's mother, "What would you do if someone threw acid in your face?" and once posted a note on her apartment door demanding she move out.
Santa Monica police reported that security camera footage captured Curcio pepper-spraying the woman's apartment doorknob in November 2024. The victim's mother later suffered burns to her skin and eyes from the substance.
"I am afraid Curcio is going to kill me," the victim's mother told investigators. "I also fear for the safety of my daughter, her daughter's husband, and my grandchildren."
Court records show Curcio also sent harassing emails to the victim's husband and made posts on social media platforms identifying the victim's mother as "an enemy of the U.S." while posting her home address and calling for her deportation.
Federal law prohibits making certain personal information about covered federal employees public, including Social Security numbers, home addresses, phone numbers and personal email addresses. The law applies when such information is released with intent to threaten, intimidate or incite violence.
Los Angeles has been a flashpoint for immigration raids this year with over 5,000 arrests since June 2025. While authorities have said they target dangerous criminals, operations have swept up bystanders and U.S. citizens, sparking widespread protests. ICE agents in masks and unmarked vehicles have conducted workplace raids and mass detentions, including holding hundreds overnight in a federal building basement.
The first wave of raids caused mass outrage in the community including street protests.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has prosecuted 18 people for allegedly interfering with operations, though prosecutors dropped at least five cases when video evidence contradicted agents' claims. Despite community backlash and legal challenges, DHS maintains its zero-tolerance approach, vowing continued enforcement regardless of local resistance.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has put the State government in the debate by signing a series of bills aimed at protecting California’s undocumented immigrants from aggressive raids Senate Bill 627, which would prohibit federal officers from wearing masks during their operations, has drawn the most attention so far but its impact may be limited as state and local authorities are generally unable to regulate federal officers.
The Santa Monica arrest comes amid what federal officials describe as a dramatic surge in threats against immigration officers. Department of Homeland Security data shows assaults on ICE agents have increased by more than 400% in recent years, with a 500% spike in attacks during operations.
DHS officials have reported other incidents of ICE officers and their family members being doxxed by enforcement opponents. In Southern California, flyers have appeared listing names, photos and phone numbers of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents. In Tennessee, Nashville's mayor's office published details of a federal immigration operation, including agents' names, on a city website.
The federal government has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to agent harassment. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in September that filming or posting videos of on-duty ICE agents constitutes "doxxing" and even a form of "violence."
On Capitol Hill, Sen. Marsha Blackburn introduced the "Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act" in June, which would explicitly criminalize publicly identifying federal officers with intent to interfere with enforcement actions. Violators would face fines and up to five years in prison.
ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating the case against Curcio. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Restrepo of the National Security Division is prosecuting. Officials said the Santa Monica Police Department was not involved in the case. A criminal complaint contains allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.