Federal Law Enforcement Arrests Individuals Attempting to Exploit Protests
As various federal law enforcement agencies work in various states to ensure the safety of American cities and peaceful protestors, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged several individuals allegedly seeking to exploit the protests to incite violence. These charges range from domestic terror related offenses to possessions of illegal weapons.
In a release Wednesday, the Joint Terrorism Task Force announced charges against three individuals in Las Vegas who are members of the “Boogaloo” Movement- a term used by extremists to signify a coming civil war and/or collapse of society. The individuals were charged in violations federal and state law for conspiracy to cause destruction during protests in Las Vegas, and possession of an unregistered destructive device (specifically, an improvised incendiary device commonly known as a Molotov cocktail).
“Violent instigators have hijacked peaceful protests and demonstrations across the country, including Nevada, exploiting the real and legitimate outrage over Mr. [George] Floyd’s death for their own radical agendas,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “Law enforcement is focused on keeping violence and destruction from interfering with free public expression and threatening lives.”
In another release Wednesday, the DOJ announced charges against an individual from Worcester, Massachusetts for civil disorder and possession of a Molotov cocktail during a demonstration in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The individual allegedly also yelled for the protesting crowd to “kill the police.” Police observed the individual remove a bottle from his satchel that appeared to contain liquid and attempt to insert a rag into the bottle while holding a silver object that the officer believed to be a lighter.
Officers stopped the individual, searched his satchel, and discovered three clear glass bottles with a slightly yellow liquid that smelled of gasoline, five white rags, one green lighter and one silver lighter. The defendant stated that the liquid in the glass bottles was gasoline and that he was “with the anarchist group” and was “waiting for an opportunity.”
This arrest was a joint effort by local law enforcement, ATF, FBI, and other law enforcement agencies.
Attorney General William Barr has said there have been 51 federal arrests so far in connection with violent looting and rioting.