The FBI investigates Tesla attacks as domestic terrorism

“That this is a warning: if you join this domestic terrorism wave Against the properties of Tesla, the Department of Justice (DOJ) He will put you behind bars, “Bondi warned in a statement, in which he detailed recent arrests in Oregon, Colorado and South Carolina.

They raise changes in US surveillance

Experts civil liberties alert to treat attacks against infrastructure Tesla As acts of terrorism, it could give the federal and local authorities wide vigilance powers on those who protest against the influence of Elon Musk In the government.

The designation of these incidents as “terrorism” could allow the South African magnate and other Tesla executives access the information collected by the authorities In your investigations.

The prosecutor’s announcement occurred just before hundreds of Protests against Musk and its influence on Washington DCmanifestations that have multiplied since mid -February, attracting hundreds of people on each occasion.

Although most of the protests have been peaceful, some have resulted in acts of vandalism and alleged fires caused by concessionaires and tesla load stations, including incidents that occurred in Las Vegas and Boston.

The FBI, by classifying these incidents as “domestic terrorism”, could obtain broader registration orders than in other cases.

According to a 2023 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO)the Use Patriot Lawpromulgated after the attacks of September 11, 2001, grants the security forces “Special Faculties” To investigate cases of terrorism, which includes the possibility of issuing “unique jurisdiction registration orders” that can be applied anywhere in the US.

Thanks to a court order, the forces of the order could access “confidential educational files” of any center or organism during a terrorism investigation.

The FBI has at your disposal a national network of Joint working groups against terrorismwhich allows you to borrow agents, experts and data from more than 30 federal agencies responsible for enforcing the law and intelligence, such as the National Security Department (DHS)the United States Army, the Customs Immigration and Control Service (ICE) and the Transport Security Administration (TSA)as well as the Local Police.

In addition, the FBI has advanced surveillance technology to which local authorities do not have access, as tools to monitor social networks, facial recognition programs and, supposedly, Stingrays devices, that is, cell towers simulators, capable of INote data of mobile phones.

Although most FBI’s competences and resources in terrorism investigation are also available in other types of criminal cases, some lawyers argue that order forces use a broader scope in specific investigations.

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For Donald Trump, the incident was also about domestic terrorism.

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Privileged access for companies such as Tesla

Although there are no explicit laws that force FBI to keep companies informed when they are victims of “national terrorism” incidents, the special exagent and current member of the Brennan Center for Justice, Michael Germansaid the bureau usually does: “The FBI decides treat the company as a victim of a crimewhich makes information exchanges common. “

This could allow Musk and other Tesla executives access surveillance information or reports about protesters that are not available for the public. Neither Tesla nor the DOJ responded to requests for comments on whether they plan to share information on the research.

Exist Business history that not only receive information from the authorities in research on national terrorismbut they also collaborate directly with the FBI.

German mentions the case of Protests against pipelines In the early 2010s, where the FBI allowed a pipeline operating company to have “Direct access to the White House” Already confidential information, in addition to getting involved in the strategy with the FBI, the DHS, the National Guard and the Local Police.

What can happen to protesters

Research on domestic terrorism are usually delicate, and organizations such as American union of civil liberties (Aclu) argue that the FBI usually uses them to Watch activists and color communities without due supervision.

President Trump indicated that his administration The incidents related to Tesla will be taken very seriously: “People who are surprised will go to jail for up to twenty years, and that includes financiers. We are looking for them !!!!“Trump wrote on social networks last week.

Hina ShamsiDirector of the ACLU National Security Project, affirms that, instead of focusing on “more serious crimes”, federal agencies have wasteful resources and abused their power by dealing with non -violent civil disobedience or vandalism as justification for arbitrary civil rights investigations.

German adds that The FBI supported the “radicalization” theory, that postulates that extremist beliefs develop naturally from more moderate and extended ideas. This would justify one broader surveillance networkespecially towards activists.

It also emphasizes that this logic It was historically used to expand the scope of research of the FBI, what has resulted in abuse of power around national defense groups.

Five years ago, the FBI used the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Law (FISA) to monitor participants from the protests of Black Lives Matterinvestigating their possible links with terrorists. According to the Inspector General of the DOJ, this incident was an example of “generalized breach” of the FISA regulations by the FBI. German concludes that, instead of focusing only on acts of violence, the FBI could expand their surveillance about those who simply express their frustration With Tesla or Musk.