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FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed reports that a task force dedicated to investigating the spate of attacks against Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company, Tesla, has been established with the former prosecutor promising to root out “domestic terrorism.”
According to NBC News, at least 80 attacks have been reported against Tesla vehicles since Musk began gutting the federal government through his Department of Government Efficiency in January.
Protests have erupted across the U.S., with showrooms besieged, charging sites set ablaze, and vehicles vandalized. Others are selling their cars and shares amid growing unease over Musk’s political influence and closeness to Trump. Trade-ins for the EVs have reportedly hit record highs.
On Monday, Patel confirmed the New York Post’s report about a new law enforcement “crackdown” as the Trump administration ramps up its response to those committing Tesla vandalism.
Sharing an article by a Post reporter on X, Patel wrote: “The FBI has been investigating the increase in violent activity toward Tesla, and over the last few days, we have taken additional steps to crack down and coordinate our response.
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“This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice.”
Also sharing the report, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino tweeted: “Justice is coming.”
FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson confirmed in an X post Monday that the new task force will work in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The 10-person investigative body will include personnel from the bureau’s Counterterrorism Division, according to The New York Post. ATF is also said to be deploying personnel to FBI field offices starting with San Antonio, Texas – the site of several attacks.
The announcement comes ahead of the “Tesla Takedown” protest scheduled for Saturday. Organizers said it will be the movement’s “biggest day of action,” with an estimated 500 demonstrations across the U.S.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to treat those who vandalize Teslas as “domestic terrorists” last week, a label used by President Donald Trump earlier this month.
Singling out three suspects charged for their alleged involvement in a Molotov cocktail attack against vehicles at charging stations in Oregon, Colorado and North Carolina, Bondi said they could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison as she promised “severe and swift consequences” for their actions.
On Sunday, the attorney general doubled down that “we are not coming off these charges,” adding: “We are looking at everything, especially if this is a concerted effort. This is domestic terrorism.”
Bondi’s calls came after the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force launched an investigation after a person dressed in black shot and set several Tesla vehicles on fire with a Molotov cocktail at a repair facility in Las Vegas last Tuesday. The word “resist” was spray-painted on the front doors of the shop.
Musk posted a video of the burning cars at the facility on social media with a single-word response: “Terrorism.”
