Attorney General Pam Bondi referred to a wave of recent assaults on Tesla vehicles and infrastructure as “domestic terrorism” Tuesday night, following nighttime fires at two dealerships.
Since Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, has been spearheading a contentious restructuring of the federal government through his Department of Government Efficiency, the company’s cars and real estate have come under growing public criticism.
Cars have been fired at and vandalized, charging stations have been graffitied, and facilities have been set on fire.
“The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism,” Bondi stated. “The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences.”
The attorney general further stated that “severe consequences” will be imposed on anyone responsible for the attacks as part of ongoing investigations.
Additionally, Bondi implied—without offering any proof—that the attacks might have been planned and part of a conspiracy, saying they would target “those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”
Bondi’s remarks follow an overnight attack on two dealerships: one in Kansas City, Missouri, and the other in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Early on Tuesday, according to Las Vegas authorities, someone attacked a Tesla dealership located in the 6200 block of Badura Avenue.
The black-clad suspect used Molotov cocktails to set cars on fire and spray-painted the word “resist” in red letters on the facility’s main doors.
Authorities said that at least five cars were destroyed, including two completely consumed in flames.
Additionally, the defendant is charged with shooting at least three shots into automobiles.
Authorities said during a press conference that the fires were quickly put out after local police and fire departments were dispatched to the scene at around 2:45 a.m.
DOGE Stimulus Payment Update: What’s the Expected Approval Timeline?
The terrorism task team is looking into the crime, FBI special agent Spencer Evans, who oversees the Las Vegas field office, told reporters.
He stated that although it is too early to determine if the incident meets the criteria for terrorism, it “certainly has some of the hallmarks” of terrorism.
“None of those factors are lost on us,” he stated.
According to an FBI Kansas City statement, Cybertrucks at a Tesla store in south Kansas City sustained damage late Monday.
The FBI stated that it was working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to investigate the crime.
Musk called “the left the party of violence & hate” and denounced the violence on multiple occasions on his social media platform X on Tuesday, calling it “violent terrorism” and “extreme domestic terrorism.”
“Tesla is a peaceful company, we’ve never done anything harmful, I’ve never done anything harmful, I’ve only done productive things,” he stated. “There’s some kind of mental illness thing going on here because it just doesn’t make any sense.”
Leave a Comment