The US Department of Justice announced on Monday that it is pursuing charges against a man suspected of setting fire to several Tesla cars and a Republican party office in the southwestern state of New Mexico.
Jamison Wagner, aged 40, faces up to 40 years in prison for his alleged involvement in these arson attacks, the department said in a statement.
His home in Albuquerque was searched on Saturday, and investigators found eight incendiary devices, along with flammable liquids matching the gasoline used at both scenes, and a stencil used for graffiti. This evidence links him to two attacks in New Mexico in recent weeks, the US authorities charge.
On 9 February, a Tesla dealership in Albuquerque was targeted by arson, damaging two Tesla cars, with graffiti reading “Die Elon” and “Tesla Nazi Inc” found on the building.
On 30 March, another arson attack targeted the Republican Party office in the city, significantly damaging the front door and leaving the slogan “ICE = KKK,” - comparing the federal immigration police, ICE, to the Ku Klux Klan - painted on the building.
Since Donald Trump’s return to power, the United States has experienced a wave of such attacks, with several incidents targeting vehicles manufactured by Tesla. The company, owned by Elon Musk, has been a target ever since Musk aligned himself with Donald Trump.
Tasked by Trump with drastically cutting the federal budget, the billionaire has angered many Americans by firing thousands of federal employees and bringing key service operations to a halt, after investing $270 million in Trump’s campaign.
The Wagner case is a "final warning" Justice Minister Pamela Bondi said in the statement. Anyone participating in political violence will be arrested and prosecuted, she stressed, adding that "crimes have consequences.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency would continue to locate and arrest those responsible for these "acts of domestic terrorism.”
