July 2026 TorchStone Global Monthly Executive Protection Report
TorchStone is co-hosting a webinar with Ontic on Thursday, September 24 at 11 am CT where we’ll reflect on the insights derived from three years of Monthly Executive Protection report data and the trends we’ve observed since its launch in May 2023. Register here.
TorchStone Global believes that broader situational awareness and intelligence are key to providing quality executive protection—whether the principal is a Fortune 500 CEO, international celebrity, or local city council member. Our monthly executive protection report catalogs incidents we have captured through our open-source searches that are relevant to the practice of executive protection. We hope the report will serve as a centralized source of threat activity to provide insight into current trends in threats to high-profile individuals.
For more information on customized threat tracking for at-risk individuals, threat assessments, executive protection, or other security services, please contact us.
Quick Links
Summary
The TorchStone Executive Protection Report tracked 32 domestic and 19 international security incidents or updates to prior incidents impacting high-profile individuals during the month of July 2026. Below are some key incidents of note over the past month.
- July saw multiple incidents targeting journalists and news personnel, several tied to coverage of government action or corruption. On July 16, a man breached security at the TODAY show’s Rockefeller Center studio, allegedly lunging at anchor Craig Melvin and shouting a racial slur after searching for weather anchor Al Roker. On July 24 in New Delhi, Indian television reporter Dev Kotak was beaten by protesters during a youth demonstration against Prime Minister Modi’s government amid a broader pattern of Indian news crews being heckled for perceived pro-government bias. Most severely, on July 22, Mexican journalist Francisco Leyva was found dead in Oaxaca, marking at least the fourth journalist killed in Mexico since June, after reporting on government corruption and organized crime. These cases underscore the sustained, and in some instances lethal, risks facing media personnel who cover politically sensitive or corruption-related subjects.
- The World Cup was ongoing at the start of July, and the resulting global attention on players created heightened opportunities for both online harassment and physical targeting. For example, Colombia’s elimination from the World Cup on penalties to Switzerland triggered direct threats against player Jaminton Campaz on July 7, who was blamed for failing to score in the decisive match. Death threats targeting Campaz prompted the Colombian federation to press the national attorney general’s office to expedite an investigation into the harassers. Days later, on July 15, Spanish National Team midfielder Lamine Yamal became a target while competing in the tournament: two burglars attempted to break into his home, only to flee once onsite security spotted them via CCTV and moved to intercept. Both incidents illustrate a persistent pattern in which highly visible public sporting events present elevated risks for athletes.
- Two incidents occurred this month in France that were linked to the DZ Mafia, a drug trafficking organization. On July 23, an arsonist torched the car of social media influencer Carla Moureau in Marseille, leaving a letter signed by the DZ Mafia at the scene, though it remains unconfirmed whether the actor was formally affiliated with the group. Separately, on July 21, French RAID police evacuated Alès mayor Christophe Rivenq from his home overnight after intelligence indicated the DZ Mafia was planning an attack; a suspicious vehicle possibly containing explosives was found near his residence. This followed earlier intimidation against Rivenq that month, including bullets left in his mailbox and threatening graffiti. Together, these cases point to an expanding intimidation footprint for the organization across France, spanning both the private and public sectors.
Please find the full list of incidents categorized below.
Business Executive
| Location: Rochester, NY | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
June 18, 2026: Police arrested a man who issued death threats to multiple individuals affiliated with the governments of Rochester and New York as well as the federal government. Following his initial threats made against New York-specific officials, the suspect made death threats against businessman Donald Trump Jr., son of President Trump, in the live chat of his podcast. The suspect reiterated these threats in a livestream on Rumble.
| Location: Monaco | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Home |
June 30, 2026: A Ukrainian woman allegedly planted and remotely detonated a bomb in the apartment building of Ukrainian Cypriot investor Vadym Yermolaiev. Yermolaiev and his wife sustained critical injuries, while their son endured lesser injuries. After flying to Kyiv, the suspect was later shot and killed by an employee of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) working with a former police officer.
| Location: San Francisco, CA | Tactic: Harassment | Venue: Office |
July 16, 2026: Anti-AI activists placed body bags outside OpenAI’s HQ, accompanied with a banner protesting the company’s cooperation with the Pentagon and their alleged involvement with the airstrike on a public school in Iran. This protest notably follows the attacks against CEO Sam Altman’s house addressed in TorchStone’s April 2026 report.
| Location: Tula, Russia | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Office |
July 29, 2026: An assassin shot and critically wounded Andrey Cherezov, president of the drone manufacturer Russian Air Transport Laboratory, as he exited his apartment complex. Cherezov remains hospitalized, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Celebrity
| Location: Kansas City, MO | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
July 7, 2026: Colombian footballer Jaminton Campaz received death threats after the country’s World Cup exit. Campaz was threatened after failing to score in their last match against Switzerland, which Colombia lost on penalties. In response to the harassment, the Colombian federation has urged the country’s attorney general’s office to expedite an investigation to identify those behind the threats.
| Location: New York, NY | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Public Area |
July 10, 2026: A gunman shot and killed former professional basketball player Kinu Rochford and injured two others during a community basketball tournament in Harlem, NY. The other victims received non-threatening injuries to their extremities, suggesting Rochford may have been the principal target. The assailant managed to escape. Rochford, who was from Brooklyn, was considered a local celebrity for his successful overseas professional basketball career as well as his community engagement.
| Location: New York, NY | Tactic: Harassment | Venue: Restricted Area |
July 11, 2026: A breach of perimeter security delayed Jay Z’s third and final Extra Innings concert at Yankee Stadium by more than four hours. Ahead of the scheduled 8:00 pm start time, a large crowd of attendees breached a security checkpoint and entered the stadium without authorization. In response, venue security initiated a lockdown to regain control of the site, preventing anyone from entering or exiting the stadium. Videos circulating on social media showed several high-profile celebrities, including A$AP Rocky, Charlamagne Tha God, and Fabolous, waiting outside the venue during the lockdown. The concert ultimately began at approximately 12:30 am, more than four hours behind schedule.
| Location: New Orleans, LA | Tactic: Stalking | Venue: Public Area |
July 13, 2026: Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office personnel arrested a woman for stalking after she posted a video on Instagram showing a confrontation with actor Shia LaBeouf. The video showed LaBeouf confronting the woman through a car window, asking her to leave him alone and that she was scaring his father. The woman appeared to be mentally unstable and suffering from delusions that the actor was her husband; she posted thousands of videos on her Instagram account addressing him with incoherent monologues. The incident highlights the threat to celebrities stemming from stalking and harassment by mentally unstable individuals.
| Location: East Hampton, NY | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Home |
July 15, 2026: Local police arrested a 63-year-old Bronx man who crashed his vehicle through the security gate at Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s East Hampton, NY residence. Private security personnel on property detained the driver without further incident. A security guard stationed at the entrance booth told police he saw the man’s car “driving at a high rate of speed up the driveway,” and failed “to stop at the closed mechanical driveway gates.” The gates reportedly sustained severe damage. Local police told media that it remains unclear if the man was targeting the house or the couple. No weapons or notes explaining his actions were found on him at the time of the incident. There were no serious injuries.
| Location: Barcelona, Spain | Tactic: Other Crime | Venue: Home |
July 15, 2026: Two burglars attempted to break into FC Barcelona and Spanish National Team midfielder Lamine Yamal’s home during his participation in the World Cup. Onsite security spotted the burglars through CCTV cameras and attempted to intercept them, but the burglars fled the site once they were aware they were spotted. An investigation is ongoing.
| Location: New York, NY | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Office |
July 16, 2026: A man broke onto the TODAY Show set at Rockefeller Center, slipping past security and allegedly lunging at anchor Craig Melvin. The man was apparently able to access a restricted area at Studio 1A at Rockefeller Plaza in search of weather anchor Al Roker before allegedly confronting Melvin and yelling a racial slur at him. The subject was taken into custody by NYPD.
| Location: Tredyffrin Township, PA | Tactic: Other Crime | Venue: Home |
July 18, 2026: Police responded to a burglary reported at the home of Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley early Saturday morning. Police were called to the residence at approximately 5 am, but suspects had already fled when police arrived at Barkley’s home in the Malvern section of Tredyffrin Township. Barkley and his family were unharmed in the incident.
| Location: Owasso, OK | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Home |
July 23, 2026: TikTok influencer Sara Gilson was fatally shot by her estranged husband less than two weeks after she publicly accused him of pedophilia on her social media account. Gilson had obtained an emergency protective order against her estranged husband on June 10 after police informed her he’d been recently accused of molesting a minor.
| Location: Marseille, France | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Home |
July 23, 2026: An arsonist set fire to social media influencer Carla Moureau’s car in the middle of the night. Investigators identified a letter near the parking lot signed by the DZ Mafia, a known drug trafficking organization, suggesting that the suspect may have intended to intimidate Moureau; however, it is currently unknown whether the suspect is legitimately connected to the DZ Mafia or not.
| Location: Loudoun County, VA | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Home |
July 26, 2026: Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s wife, Mia, was shot by their son during an altercation at their home. The cause of the altercation is unknown, but investigations are ongoing.
Federal Government
| Location: Charleston, SC | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
January 15, 2025: An Indiana woman sent explicit death threats to U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace’s official campaign phone number and email address as well as her Instagram account. Investigators revealed that the woman sent similar threats to business establishments and her family in past incidents. The woman was sentenced to 27 months in prison on July 21, 2026 after pleading guilty to two counts of threatening a federal official.
| Location: Charleston, SC | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
April 26, 2025: A South Carolina transgender woman explicitly threatened to kill U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace on X. After being incarcerated, the suspect later restated their intent to kill Mace in an interview that occurred after the shooting of Charlie Kirk. The suspect faces 30 months of house arrest and five years of probation after they plead guilty to one charge of threatening to kill a public official.
| Location: Iola, TX | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
June 10, 2026: Federal police arrested a man who posted multiple death threats on X targeting federal officials and law enforcement. The posts inquired about the locations of FBI agents as well as plans to blow up the White House. Further investigation of the suspect’s Facebook account revealed that he had posted comments claiming that he was making a hit list of various federal officials, including President Donald Trump.
| Location: Thessaloniki, Greece | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Home |
July 1, 2026: Three coordinated gas canister arson attacks targeted the homes of ruling Greek center-right New Democracy (ND) officials in the Toumba, Analipsi, and Pylaia areas of Thessaloniki. Targets included Afroditi Nestora, Zisis Ioakeimovich, and former MP Savvas Anastasiadis. The attack on Nestora’s residence caused a major fire, seriously injuring five people; her mother later died from burns. The attacks are being investigated by the Hellenic Police Counterterrorism Service. No group has claimed responsibility. The deliberate selection of ND officials as targets indicates a politically motivated act of extremist violence.
| Location: London, UK | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
July 7, 2026: Police arrested a man who threatened to fatally shoot Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage if he won his upcoming election in an X post. The suspect was jailed for a night before being released on bail.
| Location: Damascus, Syria | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Restricted Area |
July 7, 2026: Two explosive devices detonated near the Syrian Ministry of Tourism and the Four Seasons hotel during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit. The explosions occurred shortly after Macron’s motorcade left the Four Seasons for the presidential palace. Although eighteen bystanders were injured, Macron and his delegation remained unharmed since the explosives detonated only after they were a safe distance away from the hotel. The identity and affiliations of the bomber or bombers remain unknown.
| Location: Ilsington, UK | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Home |
July 9, 2026: Police arrested a 28-year-old man who attacked and killed former MP Ann Widdecombe at her home in Devon, England. Investigators have not determined a motive for the MP’s murder but say that there is nothing that suggests a political motivation behind the murder. Widdecombe’s murder is the third high-profile murder of a British political figure over the past decade.
| Location: Pittsburgh, PA | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
July 10, 2026: A man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of interstate threats and influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threat. According to the indictment, the defendant posted comments to YouTube videos between February and March 2026 threatening violence against a member of Congress, along with Democrats and liberals, transgender people and various minority groups, prosecutors said.
| Location: Washington, D.C. | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Home |
July 14, 2026: Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett appeared before Congress requesting increased personal security funding amid elevated threats. Notably, Barrett divulged that her security detail had her wear a bulletproof vest following the leak of the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade and, more recently, that she was targeted by a “swatting” attack on her residence in June 2026.
| Location: Gurabo, PR | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
July 22, 2026: Federal police arrested a Puerto Rico man for posting multiple threats on TikTok and X targeting Jews, American soldiers, and various federal officials or employees. The suspect, a self-proclaimed Nazi, posted numerous videos and photos in which he brandished bladed weapons and called for terroristic violence to be carried out against the U.S. government and various Jewish and Christian religious institutions.
| Location: East Meath, Ireland | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
July 25, 2026: A man threatened to attack or kidnap Irish Senator Sharon Keogan in a video posted on social media. The suspect’s motive is currently unknown. Irish Gardaí are investigating the suspect and have directly assisted Keogan in reviewing her physical security measures.
| Location: New York, NY | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
July 27, 2026: An Iranian propaganda source released a video titled “How to Kill Melania Trump,” detailing First Lady Melania Trump’s position in past motorcades and noting several New York designer stores that she has shopped at in the past. The video ends threatening Barron Trump with similar targeting in the future. The video is explicitly aimed at independent terrorist operators who may wish to target the Trump family.
| Location: Jerusalem, Israel | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
July 29, 2026: A Hamas operative sent death threats to Israeli Knesset Member Zvi Sukkot via private Facebook messages. In the messages, the operative posted images of pistols allegedly belonging to him and claimed he was on his way to kill Sukkot. In response, Sukkot’s security detail increased its coverage; an investigation into the operative’s whereabouts is ongoing.
State Government
| Location: Cedar Rapids, IA | Tactic: Harassment | Venue: Communication Channels |
June 3, 2026: A woman sent threatening messages to Iowa State Rep. Taylor Collins via a private Facebook message. Following a criminal complaint, police arrested the woman, and she was subsequently charged with harassing a state official.
| Location: Rochester, NY | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
June 11, 2026: Police arrested a man who issued death threats to multiple individuals affiliated with the governments of Rochester and New York as well as the federal government. Following his initial threats made against Rochester Mayor Malik Evans, the man posted another death threat on Facebook targeting State Senator Samra Brouk, which included racist language.
| Location: Binghamton, NY | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
June 23, 2026: A man posted a threat targeting New York State Senator Lea Webb in the comments section of a WBNG article discussing her involvement in Juneteenth festivities. Police arrested the man, and upon further investigation, authorities discovered that he possessed past felony convictions as well as several guns prohibited by New York State law.
| Location: Fond du Lac, WI | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
June 28, 2026: A man threatened to kill an unspecified “Wisconsin Executive Official” in a series of voicemails left for Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ office. Police arrested the man, who was subsequently issued a no-contact order with Evers as well as banned from the Wisconsin Capitol Square. In a notable prior incident, the man issued similar telephonic threats to Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development employees in 2020 regarding his unemployment status.
| Location: Omaha, NE | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
June 29, 2026: A man left a threatening comment on the Columbus Catholic Schools district website targeting Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and his family. Authorities traced the man’s physical address from his IP address and apprehended him later the same day.
| Location: Hugo, MN | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
July 6, 2026: A woman who left threatening voicemails to the office of Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth between January and February 2026 pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening a state official with violence. The woman was arrested in February 2026 and claimed that she would stalk and kill Demuth during her state gubernatorial campaign.
| Location: Brookhaven, PA | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Home |
July 8, 2026: Police arrested a man who threatened to burn down Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home while discussing tax filing issues at the State Representative’s office. The man specifically mentioned Shapiro’s Jewish faith, and his comments specifically referenced the April 2025 arson attack on his home.
Local Government
| Location: Mount Clemens, MI | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
November 13, 2025: A woman sent threatening messages to Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp via Facebook Messenger. Per Kropp’s account, the messages initially appeared to be innocuous, expressing concerns over contaminants in the local Clinton River; however, later messages invoked conspiracy theory rhetoric, eventually escalating into personal threats of violence made against Kropp. Police arrested the suspect; she pled guilty to one misdemeanor charge for computer crimes on July 7, 2026 and now faces a year of jail time.
| Location: Jantetelco, Mexico | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Public Area |
January 31, 2026: Gunmen shot Temoac Mayor Valentín Lavín Romero after he and his wife stopped at a gas station on the Mexico-Oaxaca federal highway. Lavín survived the attack with injuries. Although a criminal investigation occurred, none of the assailants were identified.
| Location: Harrisburg, PA | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
May 26, 2026: An inmate of a state prison threatened to kill Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections Dr. Laurel Harry in a letter written to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. In the letter, the inmate stated that he planned to escape prison, kidnap and torture a Department of Corrections attorney and their family, and kill Harry and “as many Central Office Staff as possible” if the prison transferred him to a “special program.”
| Location: Harrisburg, PA | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
May 26, 2026: An inmate of a state prison claimed intent to attack Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his wife, First Lady Lori Shapiro.
| Location: Rochester, NY | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
June 7, 2026: Police arrested a man who issued death threats to multiple individuals affiliated with the governments of Rochester and New York as well as the federal government. The man first threatened to kill Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and his family, citing a personal grievance. Later, the man shared follow-ups to the post tagging Evans featuring similar threats and racist language.
| Location: Buffalo, NY | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Communication Channels |
July 3, 2026: Following the disruption of a flag raising ceremony commemorating Somalia’s Independence Day, a person posted a bomb threat targeting Buffalo City Hall with the explicit intent of harming city officials. Authorities identified the individual as someone residing outside of Buffalo and are currently working to investigate them.
| Location: New York, NY | Tactic: Harassment | Venue: Office |
July 6, 2026: An assailant threw projectiles at the windows of Queens Councilmember Phil Wong’s office. The assailant made several calls to the building’s superintendent prior to the attack, claiming they would return to break more windows unless Wong and his team were “[taken] control of.” Two days prior to this incident, another assailant tackled one of Wong’s staff members while they attempted to film a local construction site. An investigation is ongoing.
| Location: Elkins, WV | Tactic: Verbal/Written Threat | Venue: Public Area |
July 8, 2026: A former employee of the local water department issued death threats against Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco and President Donald Trump after being terminated from his job. Police located and arrested the man after receiving reports of his threats from the Elkins Fire Department and Marco.
| Location: Zacatecas, Mexico | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Public Area |
July 18, 2026: Ten bodies were located across three different municipalities in Zacatecas. Authorities identified one of the bodies as that of Ignacio Castrejón Valdez, former mayor of Sombrerete, Zacatecas. Investigations are ongoing.
| Location: Alès, France | Tactic: Harassment | Venue: Home |
July 21, 2026: French RAID police evacuated Alès mayor Christophe Rivenq from his home early in the morning due to intelligence suggesting members of the DZ Mafia drug trafficking gang planned to attack him. Investigators located a suspicious vehicle parked near Rivenq’s residence that possibly contained explosives. Earlier in the month, 9mm bullets were found in Rivenq’s mailbox, and vandals threatened him via graffiti left on his home’s walls. Rivenq remains under police protection, and an investigation is ongoing.
| Location: Temoac, Mexico | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Office |
July 22, 2026: Hitmen shot and killed Temoac Mayor Valentín Lavín Romero while he worked in his office in the town hall. Lavín had survived a previous attempt on his life in late January 2026, in which gunmen shot him at a gas station while he was traveling. Notably, criminals left a banner in the center of Temoac in May 2026 issuing a death threat against him due to his alleged past criminal ties and corruption. Investigations are ongoing.
| Location: Brooklyn Park, MN | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Home |
| Location: Jashore, Bangladesh | Tactic: Harassment | Venue: Home |
July 28, 2026: Protesters vandalized Bengali MP Golam Rasul’s home after his daughter allegedly assaulted students at a local school. The protesters remained outside Rasul’s house for approximately two hours, damaging two windows with thrown bricks before police dispersed the gathering.
Community Leader
| Location: Victoria, Canada | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Public Area |
June 18, 2026: A man forced open the driver-side door of an Islamic religious leader’s vehicle and assaulted him in downtown Victoria. The attacker spat at the imam, who was wearing traditional religious attire, and made xenophobic comments telling him to “go back to your country.”
| Location: Guadalajara, Mexico | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Public Area |
July 7, 2026: Two gunmen shot and killed former Fresnillo Mayor Benjamín Medrano Quezada, who was also Mexico’s first openly gay mayor, while he visited an ice cream store. An investigation is ongoing; it is speculated that Medrano may have been targeted for allegations of corruption from his tenure as Mayor.
| Location: Oaxaca, Mexico | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Public Area |
July 22, 2026: Mexican journalist Francisco Leyva was found dead in the southern state of Oaxaca, marking at least the fourth killing of a journalist in the country since June. Leyva, 60, primarily reported on stories that exposed government corruption and violence linked to criminal groups operating in Oaxaca.
| Location: New Delhi, India | Tactic: Attack | Venue: Public Area |
July 24, 2026: When Indian television reporter Dev Kotak went to cover a youth protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, he was beaten by dozens of protesters because his channel is seen as pro-government. Mobile phone cameras captured the assault, and the clip later went viral on social media. During the recent protests, people have heckled and abused news crews from almost all of India’s mainstream television channels, calling them pro-government and sold out.
Subscribe Today
TorchStone has launched a monthly newsletter to notify readers when our EP Reports go live. Subscribe here to join our mailing list.