By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department on Monday said it has criminally charged a man it alleged carried out two recent arson attacks against the New Mexico Republican Party’s headquarters and a Tesla dealership in the state.
The criminal complaint, dated April 12, charges Jamison Wagner with arson. No one was injured in either incident.
The first arson took place February 9, at an Albuquerque Tesla dealership and the second on March 30 at the Republican Party headquarters, also located in Albuquerque, the complaint says.
Investigators discovered graffiti on the Republican Party building that read: “ICE=KKK,” an apparent reference to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
At the Tesla dealership, investigators found graffiti with messages that took aim at Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is currently leading efforts by President Donald Trump to dramatically shrink the size of the government by cutting programs, employees and in some cases, entire agencies.
One message said “Die Elon” while another said “Die Tesla Nazi.”
Two Tesla Model Y vehicles were damaged in the fire, the complaint says.
“We will be prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X. “We are seeking up to 40 years in prison.”
Bondi has pledged to treat a spate of recent attacks against Tesla dealerships and charging stations as domestic terrorism, a move that could potentially lead to harsher prison terms.
Robert Cekada, the deputy director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said in a statement on Monday that special agents, certified fire investigators and forensics experts had worked “around the clock” to piece together the evidence and make the arrest.
“We follow the evidence, we find the truth and we bring offenders to justice,” he said.
According to the complaint, investigators recovered evidence at Wagner’s home including a white cardboard box with eight suspected incendiary devices, black and red spray paint and a cardboard stencil that read “ICE=KKK.”
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Scott Malone)
