HEON JONG YOO

A man known in the area as the “Asian Nazi” on social media was arrested Friday.

Heon “Hank” Jong Yoo, 24, of Tyler, was arrested on a federal warrant by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

A spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service said Monday Yoo’s arrest stemmed from making false statements during a firearms purchase.

A spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Justice said the arrest warrant for Yoo was sworn to by ATF.

Yoo was taken into custody by ATF and the warrant currently reflects as sealed, according to the DOJ.

The Department said Yoo made an initial appearance in court Monday.

Yoo was booked into the Smith County Jail on a federal detainer shortly before 10:30 p.m. Friday. No bond had been set as of Monday.

Yoo has gained notoriety on YouTube with videos of him singing “Dixie” while dressed as a Confederate cavalry member and in interviews espousing his views.

Yoo often gives prominent placement to Nazi, alt-right and Confederate imagery in his videos. He has become popular for videos ranting against Black Lives Matter and a video titled “Seig Heil Taylor Swift.” His social media accounts have since been deleted, but the YouTube videos and interviews with altright blogs can still be found online.

Yoo told the North Texas Daily, the student newspaper of the University of North Texas, he was attempting to “rile up as many liberals as possible” during a 2016 incident at the college. Yoo is quoted as saying “I’m proud to be prejudiced. I was made in America.”

The North Texas Daily reported that Yoo described himself as a “Neo-Confederate.”

Florida man pleads guilty in gas pump skimmer case

A Florida man pleaded guilty Monday in a Smith County court to a second degree felony charge for his role in a credit card skimmer operation.

Raul Daniel Rodriguez-Martinez, 25, of Miami, and his court appointed defense attorney stood before Judge Kerry Russell in the 7th District Court where Rodriguez-Martinez pleaded guilty to unlawful interception, use or disclosure of wire, oral or electronic communication.

Rodriguez-Martinez rejected a 15-year sentence offered in the plea agreement from the State. He elected to have the court determine his sentence.

Rodriguez-Martinez will be back in court April 30 for sentencing.

Rodriguez-Martinez was arrested Nov. 2 by the Tyler Police Department. He was held in the Smith County jail on a $500,000 bond.