Large FBI, Homeland Security Operation Targets Militias in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio

infowars.com

On Saturday night the FBI and Homeland Security conducted what was described as a “major” operation against the Michigan militia.

As of Sunday morning, the operation was not reported by national media, although it was covered by local media in Michigan.

“The FBI was conducting raids Saturday night at multiple locations in southeast Michigan,” WXYZ News in Detroit reported last night. “Action News has learned Homeland Security and the Joint Anti-terrorism Task Force is also involved in a major operation.”

The feds would not tell WXYZ “who they were targeting or where, but the FBI has set up a command center at the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department in Ann Arbor, where they have brought in two satellite trucks and a radio tower.”

“Several media outlets report that the FBI conducted raids on Saturday night and Sunday morning at several locations in Washtenaw and Lenewee counties. In its Sunday morning broadcast, Channel 7 Action News reports that Homeland Security and the Joint Anti-terrorism Task Force are also involved in the raids, possibly connected to the Michigan Militia. A command center has been set up at the Washtenaw Sheriff’s department,” reported the Ann Arbor Chronicle.

“There is still a lot about this case we don’t know,” reported Action News reporter Kim Craig (see second video below), “and hope to find out later today, but there does seem to be a connection to the Michigan Militia.” The FBI and Homeland Security used “a small army” against a house in Adrian, Michigan.

It appears raids are being conducted in Hammond, Indiana, and Sandusky, Ohio, as well

“Hammond police assisted with an FBI raid Saturday evening in the Indiana city, but federal officials would not release any details,” Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

FBI, Homeland Security, and agents from the Sandusky Police, Erie County Sheriff’s deputies, agents from Toledo Police Bomb Squad and Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s K9 Unit conducted an operation in Ohio. “Some officers in green uniforms carried large automatic rifles,” the Sandusky Register reports this morning. An FBI spokesman said warrants were sealed in federal court and he could not release any information until after the suspects appear in court Monday.

The Michigan Militia website reports today that the group has not been raided. “We do nothing illegal, ” a headline on the website states. “Both The Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia and the staff of Michiganmilitia.com condemn attacks or threats of any sort directed against our elected representatives. We also condemn those who would use these attacks to further their agenda. If you don’t like your representatives, then recall them or elect someone else, or hell, run for office yourself. We also urge all representatives to obtain and read a copy of The Constitution,” the site explains.

The original Michigan Militia was formed in response to the federal government’s mass murder in Waco, Texas, and the murder of Randy Weaver’s family at Ruby Ridge in Idaho. The Michigan Militia came to national attention in1995 when the corporate media erroneously associated Timothy McVeigh to the group.

Last April, the Department of Homeland Security released a report on “rightwing extremism” that warned of militia violence. The DHS report followed similar reports issued by MIAC and the Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment Center. The MIAC report claimed supporters of Ron Paul, Chuck Bladwin, and Bob Barr are domestic terrorists.

Addendum

The corporate media has reported on the raids. “The FBI confirmed to Local 4 [in Adrian, Michigan] that there were several law enforcement activities in the Lenawee/Washtenaw County area late Saturday night,” reports MSNBC. “Michigan State Police said the raids are not terror related, but would not comment further.”

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Comment by michael t noel on March 28, 2010 at 8:08pm: Its started my friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by Jeff on March 28, 2010 at 8:04pm: I've repeatedly expressed the worthlessness of patriotic militias. In 20, maybe 50 years, or perhaps much less a revolution will happen in this country but it will require everyone and guns won't be necessary.

Comment by truth on March 28, 2010 at 7:48pm: ADRIAN, Mich. – The FBI said Sunday that agents conducted weekend raids in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio and arrested at least three people, and a militia leader in Michigan said the target of at least one of the raids was a Christian militia group.

Federal warrants were sealed, but FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold said there had been activity in two southwest Michigan counties near the Ohio state line. She wouldn't say whether they were tied to the raids in the other states.

FBI spokesman Scott Wilson in Cleveland said agents arrested two people Saturday after raids in two towns in Ohio. A third arrest was made in northeast Illinois on Sunday, a day after a raid took place just over the border in northwest Indiana.

Michael Lackomar, a spokesman for the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, said one of his team leaders got a frantic phone call Saturday evening from members of Hutaree, a Christian militia group, who said their property in southwest Michigan was being raided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"They said they were under attack by the ATF and wanted a place to hide," Lackomar said. "My team leader said, 'no thanks.' "

The team leader was cooperating with the FBI on Sunday, Lackomar said. He said SMVM wasn't affiliated with Hutaree, which states on its Web site to be "prepared to defend all those who belong to Christ and save those who aren't."

"We believe that one day, as prophecy says, there will be an Anti-Christ. All Christians must know this and prepare, just as Christ commanded," the group's Web site said. "Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment.

An e-mail sent to the group by The Associated Press wasn't returned Sunday, and phone numbers for the group's leadership were not immediately available.

Berchtold, the FBI spokeswoman in Michigan, said she could neither confirm nor deny whether the raids were connected to Hutaree.

Lackomar said none of the raids focused on his group, which is affiliated with the Michigan Militia, a larger militia umbrella group. Lackomar said about eight to 10 members of Hutaree trained with SMVM twice in the past three years. SMVM holds monthly training sessions focusing on survival training and shooting practice, Lackomar said.

FBI agents in Ohio made arrests in Huron and Sandusky on Saturday night, Wilson said. No further information would be released until after they appeared in court Monday, he said.

One of the raids occurred at Bayshore Estates, a trailer park in Sandusky, a small city on Lake Erie between Toledo and Cleveland, park manager Terry Mills said. Authorities blocked off the street for about an hour Saturday night, he said.

"Needless to say, this has everyone talking," said Mills, 62. "We have a lot of retirees here who don't want all this commotion."

Mills said he didn't know the identity of the person arrested.

___

Associated Press Writers Erin Gartner in Chicago, Rick Callahan in Indianapolis and Matt Leingang in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Comment by Glenn Gordon on March 28, 2010 at 7:38pm: History repeating itself indeed. The nazi's raiding the homes of innocent people for demanding freedom and justice. How much further does it have to go before the world wakes up. This reminds of the old days back in N. Ireland, when young men were dragged out of their beds by the brits at 4am, beaten and thrown into internment camps without trial.

There needs to be more media to get this stuff out to the world, as the mainstream corporate media will lie to justify these Nazi bastards.

Comment by Steve Lee on March 28, 2010 at 2:17pm: Thnk you for the update. The detroitnews dot com says that they may be "Christian Militias" that were raided.

The Dearborn, Michigan area (a suburb South West of Detroit) is the location of the largest Umma of Middle Easterners in the U.S. They have had a lot demonstrations in the streets of the city, so maybe there is oppostion to that forming.

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