A top FBI official said this week that the U.S. was grateful for Americans who made the tough decision to turn in friends and family members who took part in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol to keep then-President Donald Trump in power.

Some of you have recognized that this was such an egregious incident that youve turned in your friends and family members, Steven DAntuono, the assistant director in charge of the FBIs Washington field office, said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday. We know that these decisions are often painful, but you picked up the phone because it was the right thing to do.

Indeed, some Americans like the Texas teen who told the feds about his fathers involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection have made difficult choices about turning in someone they love to the federal government.

But others old acquaintances of the defendants who are only friends with them on social media are clearly relishing the moment.

In case after case that federal authorities have brought in connection with the insurrection, there has been a consistent theme. Old associates from high school or college or young adulthood have gone to the FBI with tips about the people theyve been following for years on platforms like Facebook , Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.

They watched their former associates get sucked into online conspiracy theories and a cultlike dedication to Trump. They read their bigoted posts about Black Lives Matter or their lie-filled screeds about a stolen election. They had their own comments trolled. And when their online nemeses finally crossed the line into outright criminal activity, they turned them in to the feds.