A suspect has been arrested in connection to a February arson attack at a Tesla facility in New Mexico, FBI director Kash Patel announced on Monday.
Jamison Wagner, 40, was taken into custody Saturday morning by the FBI Albuquerque and the ATF Phoenix Field Division, according to Patel and the Department of Justice. Patel said the arrest came after law enforcement discovered evidence from the ongoing investigation of last month’s alleged arson at the Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters.
“Evidence recovered at the scene strongly suggests that this weekend, our brave agents prevented further planned arson attacks,” Patel said.
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Two Tesla vehicles were damaged in the Feb. 9 attack, according to the criminal complaint. Red and black graffiti was also found on the facility’s building and six other vehicles. The words said “Die Elon,” “Tesla Nazi Inc,” and “Die Tesla Nazi,” as well as other swastika symbols.
The criminal complaint against Wagner also alleged he was responsible for the March 30 incident at the GOP headquarters in Albuquerque. The entryway was destroyed and the party alleged that the words “ICE=KKK” had also been spray-painted, authorities said.
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Investigators connected both arsons through the suspect’s use of homemade incendiary devices which utilized glass containers and flammable liquids, the Justice Department said. Using surveillance footage, which captured the suspect’s image and vehicle, authorities determined Wagner as a “significant person of interest.”
On Saturday, April 12, FBI and ATF officials searched Wagner’s residence in Albuquerque and found several evidence linking him to the crimes, including eight assembled suspected incendiary devices, material found in the improvised napalm used in the Tesla fire, ignitable liquids consistent with the gasoline used at both fire scenes, and a stencil bearing the phrase “ICE=KKK,” consistent with graffiti found at the GOP headquarters, court documents show.
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Wagner was charged with two counts of malicious damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives, according to the complaint. He will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, the Department of Justice said. If convicted, Wagner faces between five and 20 years in prison for each count.
There have been several attacks at Tesla dealerships across the U.S. amid ongoing protests against Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his role in the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The incidents have involved arson, gunfire, and vandalism, including graffiti expressing grievances, according to a joint intelligence bulletin issued by the Department of Homeland Security and FBI. Several people have been arrested, including a suspect in Colorado who allegedly attempted to light Teslas on fire with Molotov cocktails.
“Let this be the final lesson to those taking part in this ongoing wave of political violence,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a news release Monday. “We will arrest you, we will prosecute you, and we will not negotiate. Crimes have consequences.”
