FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has announced that the bureau is investigating attacks targeting Tesla vehicles and dealerships of the electric vehicle company and related swatting incidents.
President Donald Trump and other administration officials have condemned a number of these incidents as acts of “domestic terrorism” due to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in DOGE-driven cuts to federal agencies and employees, Axios reported.“Communication and transparency are my priorities. We work for you, the American citizen. Our teams are actively working on the Tesla incidents and the swatting incidents, along with our other responsibilities to keep the Homeland safe. Thank you,” Bongino wrote.
Swatting is a type of harassment in which a fictitious emergency services call is made to send a large number of armed police officers to a specific address.
The targeting of a Tesla collision center in Las Vegas on Tuesday, which resulted in multiple vehicles being set on fire and the word “Resist” being spray-painted on the building, is being looked into by the FBI as a possible act of terrorism.
A black-clad individual “approached the business with incendiary devices. The individual used the devices to set multiple Tesla vehicles on fire. One incendiary device was recovered inside a vehicle un-detonated. It is also believed the individual fired at least three rounds from a firearm at vehicles,” according to a statement from the Las Vegas Police Department.
Along with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department, the FBI is collaborating with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives “to investigate an overnight incident in which Cyber Trucks at a Tesla Dealership in south Kansas City were damaged,” according to a Facebook post from the bureau’s Kansas City field office on Tuesday.
Global in scope, the #TeslaTakedown movement has seen vandals target dealerships and automobiles in a number of nations, including Canada, where a Tesla exhibit was pulled from this week’s Vancouver International Auto Show due to safety concerns.
Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared on Fox News this week to speak about the attacks against Tesla and vowed that the Department of Justice would hold those accountable.
“I want to ask you about these attacks on Tesla taking place across the country. You’ve recently said that they are acts of domestic terrorism. Obviously, in bringing up the concept of domestic terrorism, I would think that opens up your department and the FBI into investigating who is funding these attacks. Are they organized? What can you tell us about all of this, which many are seeing on their screen right now, at Tesla dealerships? And it’s taking place all over the country,” host Will Cain said.
“These attacks are taking place throughout our country. We have charged multiple people. Get ready, more are coming. One we charged in Oregon is facing 5 to 20 years in prison. We filed in Colorado, we filed in South Carolina, there are more coming. And yes, the funding is one thing we are looking at, among many others. I was personally in a meeting about it this morning.” Bondi said.
“We are coming after you. We believe these are organized. These are not individuals out there throughout the country doing this on their own. They’re targeting Tesla owners, they’re targeting Tesla dealerships. They’re targeting Elon Musk, who is out there trying to save our country, and it will not be tolerated. We are coming after you. We will find you. And if you are an organized group who is funding this, we’re going to find you too. You better look out and you better stop it,” Bondi added.
“And to be clear, you said you came out of a meeting this morning. At least to some extent, you are seeing some level of organization and behind-the-scenes funding that you can investigate and potentially prosecute?” Cain asked.
Bondi responded: “That’s — everything that we’re looking at, yes, we’re looking at all aspects of it. These are not isolated individual events.”