DOJ Charges New Mexico Man With Arson Against Tesla Showroom and Republican HQ

The U.S. Department of Justice announced connected Monday that it charged Jamison R. Wagner, a 40-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, with arson for allegedly mounting fires astatine a Tesla showroom successful the metropolis arsenic good arsenic the section Republican Party headquarters. The charges travel arsenic Tesla CEO Elon Musk remains the absorption of wide nationalist choler implicit his unlawful demolition of the U.S. authorities and his far-right extremist views astir contention and immigration.

The U.S. authorities alleges Wagner damaged 2 Tesla vehicles astatine the Tesla Showroom successful Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the aboriginal greeting hours of Feb. 9, 2025. One of the vehicles appears to person important damage, according to a photograph released by DOJ, but different conveyance appears to simply person a model smashed.

The DOJ alleges that an “intact solid container” was recovered successful the 2nd conveyance “containing an improvised napalm material.”

Damaged Tesla vehicles successful a photograph published by the U.S. Department of Justice. Photo: DOJ

The gathering of the Tesla Showroom and six different vehicles connected the spot were deed with graffiti speechmaking “Die Elon,” “Tesla Nazi Inc,” and “Die Tesla Nazi,” arsenic good arsenic swastikas. Musk, who’s inactive operating the alleged Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), infamously made 2 Nazi-style salutes connected the time President Donald Trump was inaugurated connected Jan. 20, 2025.

Musk has denied helium was trying to invoke the Nazis, but anyone with eyes to spot tin recognize wherefore tenable radical would presume the billionaire was welcoming the 2nd Trump epoch with an explicit clasp of Nazism. The oligarch has embraced far-right ideology and expressed immoderate highly antisemitic and racist ideas implicit caller years.

Photo: DOJ

DOJ published photos it said were taken from surveillance footage appearing to amusement a idiosyncratic successful a achromatic hooded sweatshirt. It’s not wide whether that idiosyncratic is really Wagner, though the authorities insists it is.

“Hurling firebombs is not governmental protest,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said successful a connection posted online. “It is simply a unsafe felony that we volition prosecute to the maximum extent. The awesome enactment by instrumentality enforcement successful New Mexico sends a wide connection to perpetrators of each of the shameful attacks connected Tesla facilities and governmental establishments: we are coming for you, you can’t hide, and you volition bash superior jailhouse clip to wage for your crimes.”

The FBI issued a connection successful precocious March noting that determination person been attacks connected Tesla-related spot successful astatine slightest 9 states. And portion Tesla CEO Elon Musk has tried to importune that attacks connected Tesla facilities, on with peaceful demonstrations, are each being paid for by immoderate shadowy figures, there’s nary grounds that this is the case.

DOJ besides alleges Wagner attacked the Republican Party New Mexico (RPNM) bureau successful the aboriginal greeting hours of March 30, 2025. Two oregon 3 solid containers with flammable liquids were allegedly utilized to harm the doorway of the building, portion the words ICE=KKK were spray-painted outside. Wagner was arrested connected April 12, 2025, by agents from the FBI and ATF, according to the DOJ property release.

“Let this beryllium the last acquisition to those taking portion successful this ongoing question of governmental violence,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We volition apprehension you, we volition prosecute you, and we volition not negotiate. Crimes person consequences.”

Wagner has been charged with 2 counts of malicious harm oregon demolition of spot by occurrence oregon explosives and faces 5-20 years for each of the 2 counts, according to DOJ.