Thirteen people, including 13 members of
the right-wing militia, have been arrested’ on charges of kidnapping the
Democratic governor of the U.S. state of Michigan and plotting to "provoke
a civil war," officials said Thursday.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer thanked
law enforcement agencies for foiling the kidnapping plot and reprimanded
President Donald Trump for failing to condemn hate groups.
Announcing the arrests, Michigan Attorney
General Dana Nessel described the plot to abduct the 49-year-old Whitmer as a "serious
and credible threat."
Andrew Badge, a U.S. attorney for the
Western District of Michigan, said six people have been charged’ with
conspiracy to kidnap Whitmer from his vacation home.
Bridges said he has monitored his
residence and even tested an improvised explosive device he intended to use to
keep law-enforcement away from his home.
According to the Justice Department, the FBI
agents and Michigan police arrested him on Wednesday after they were found’
"providing funds for explosives and exchanging tactical gear."
Whitmer has been repeatedly attacked’ by
Trump this year for his severe coronavirus lockdown, and right-wing armed
groups have protested in the state capital, Lansing, against orders for his
residence.
" LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" Trump tweeted in
April.
"When I was sworn in 22 months ago, I
knew it would be a difficult task," said Whitmer, a Democrat who was
shortlisted for Biden's vice-presidential nomination.
"I'll be honest, I never thought of
that before," he said.
"None of us have faced a code-like
challenge," Whitmer added. "We are not enemies of each other. This
virus is our enemy. "
As far as Trump is concerned, Whitmer
pointed to his refusal in a recent debate with Biden, which condemned him as
one of the white supremacists and two hate groups that allegedly targeted him.
"Stand back and stand with
them," he said.
"Hateful groups heard the president's
words not as a rebuke but as a cry, calling for action," he added.
"When our leaders speak, their words make a difference. They carry weight.
"When our leaders meet with domestic
terrorists, encourage them or break away from them, they legitimize their
actions, they are involved."
Opposing Trump's November, Biden also
tried to make some accusations against the Republican president.
"The words they say matter,"
Biden said during a campaign program. "Why doesn't the president just say,
‘Stop? Wait and wait.' And if you don't, we'll pursue you. "
- 'Ending Violence' -
Attorney General Nestle said that in
addition to the six people arrested for plotting to kidnap Whitmer, seven
members of the Wolverine militia group also faced state charges.
Nestle said he suspects they are trying to
identify the home addresses of law enforcement officers in order to
"provoke a civil war."
He said he also planned to attack the
capital, Lansing, and kidnap government officials, including Whitmer.
The seven were charged’ with a number of
crimes, including providing material support for terrorist acts, gang
membership and firearms violations.
An FBI agent's affidavit details the plot
to kidnap Whitmer.
The FBI said it became aware on social
media in early 2020 that "a group of individuals is discussing the violent
overthrow of the government and some law enforcement elements."
The FBI says an undercover informant
attended a meeting of about 14 people in June, where the group "talked
about building a society that abides by the American Bill of Rights and where
they can be self-sufficient.”
"They discussed various ways to
achieve this goal, from peaceful endeavors to violent acts," the affidavit
said.
"On one occasion, several members
talked about state governments they thought were violating the US Constitution,
including Michigan and Governor Gretchen Whitmer," he said.
It said that "several members talked
about killing 'tyrants' or 'taking' the sitting governor."
The six men accused of plotting to kidnap
Whitmer have been identified as Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Caleb Franks,
Daniel Harris, and Brandon Caserta.
Craft is a Delaware resident while the
other five live in Michigan.
The affidavit states that Fox recorded in
June that it needed 200 people to "attack the capital building in Lansing,
Michigan and hold the governor hostage."
The affidavit states, "Fox explained that he would try to 'betray' the Governor of Michigan
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