American 'Joker' influencer sanctioned in San Fermín bull runs

An American influencer dressed as the Joker became the most controversial figure of the 2026 San Fermín festival, drawing both curiosity and outrage before being sanctioned by Pamplona's municipal police.

The identity

Lacey Mrzena, a former police officer and firefighter from Chicago who now works as an artist and influencer, told El Español he spent "a lot of money to get here, and triple on fines." He said he maintains a "mentality of protecting and serving" and that the backlash is a misunderstanding Source: El Español.

The incident

The controversy peaked on July 11 during the fifth encierro with bulls from the José Escolar ranch. According to La Vanguardia, after being knocked down, Mrzena "took out a mobile phone to film himself and touched one of the bulls." This violated Article 11 of the Encierro Ordinance, which prohibits recording or using phones without authorization Source: La Vanguardia. The bull run expert Teo Lázaro, speaking on TVE, said: "This young man shouldn't be in the encierro and I hope he is sanctioned. He has been fooling around for several days" Source: El Mundo.

The aftermath

Mrzena was not detained but received an administrative fine of between €601 and €6,000 Source: La Vanguardia. On the final day, he was seen again without makeup but with green hair, and was removed from the course. Mozos confronted him, and he responded by shouting "I can't breathe," a reference to George Floyd's death, which drew further criticism Source: La Vanguardia. Mrzena claims he is being made a "scapegoat" by the media Source: El Español.