Uptick in Tesla vandalism amid DOGE backlash
Elon Musk’s Teslas are being vandalized at a higher rate as he faces backlash for federal cuts and firings.
Three individuals are facing “serious charges” for allegedly using Molotov cocktails to set Tesla cars and charging stations on fire, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”
The announcement of the alleged attacks coincides with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s work through Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to drastically slash the federal workforce.
The department announced the charges in a press release that didn’t include the defendants’ names or specify the exact charges. The press release said each defendant “faces serious charges carrying a minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison.”
One defendant, who was allegedly armed with an AR-15 rifle, threw about eight cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon, according to the announcement. Another, the department alleged, was apprehended in Loveland, Colorado after trying to light Teslas on fire, and was later found to have materials for producing more incendiary weapons.
In Charleston, South Carolina, the third defendant “wrote profane messages” about President Donald Trump around Tesla charging stations before lighting the stations on fire with Molotov cocktails, the Justice Department alleged.
USA TODAY couldn’t immediately identify and contact the individuals who were unnamed in the press release.
This story has been updated with additional information.