The U.S. Justice Department announced on Monday that the suspect behind the recent “arson attacks” against the Republican Party of New Mexico’s headquarters and the Tesla Albuquerque Showroom has been arrested by the FBI and charged by the Justice Department.
In a Monday press release, the Justice Department said federal charges had been filed against 40-year-old Jamison Wagner over the recent “arson attacks” that targeted the state GOP headquarters and the Tesla facility. The Justice Department explained that the 40-year-old suspect had been linked to both arson incidents through scene evidence and surveillance footage.
“Let this be the final lesson to those taking part in this ongoing wave of political violence,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in Monday’s press release. “We will arrest you, we will prosecute you, and we will not negotiate. Crimes have consequences.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche noted that “hurling firebombs” is not considered “political protest” but is a “dangerous felony that we will prosecute to the maximum extent.”
Blanche added, “The impressive work by law enforcement in New Mexico sends a clear message to perpetrators of all of the shameful attacks on Tesla facilities and political establishments: we are coming for you, you can’t hide, and you will do serious jail time to pay for your crimes.”
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According to the Justice Department, the first arson attack occurred on February 9 and involved two Tesla vehicles at the Tesla Albuquerque Showroom being targeted with an incendiary device. Investigators discovered an “intact glass container containing an improvised napalm material” in one of the vehicles. The Justice Department added that the outside of the Tesla facility and six other vehicles were covered in graffiti, including swastikas and the words “Die Tesla Nazi,” “Die Elon,” and “Tesla Nazi Inc.”
In Monday’s press release, the Justice Department said the second arson attack occurred on March 30 at the New Mexico GOP headquarters. The Justice Department explained that the fire “significantly damaged the front door and entry area” and that the phrase “ICE = KKK” was spray-painted on the GOP headquarters building.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel confirmed that Wagner’s arrest is part of the agency’s “aggressive efforts to investigate and hold accountable those who have targeted Tesla facilities in various states across the country.”
Patel added, “Under Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, we will continue to locate and arrest those responsible for these acts of domestic terrorism, and the FBI will work with partners at the Department of Justice to ensure such lawbreakers face justice.”
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