The FBI warned Tesla owners and dealerships to be on the lookout for potential bad actors in the lead up to the March 29 “Global Day of Action.”
The FBI is advising the public to remain alert and report any suspicious activities near Tesla dealerships or Tesla-related establishments, as stated in a recent announcement on Friday.
The upcoming Global Day of Action is a global demonstration organized by the leftist advocacy group Action Network, using the hashtag #TakeDownTesla to raise awareness about their cause. Demonstrators are expressing dissatisfaction towards Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and owner of Tesla, for his efforts in reducing inefficiencies and corruption within the government system.
In a document released by the FBI, they highlighted various incidents of anti-Tesla actions, such as arson, shootings, and vandalism, including defacing property with messages expressing grievances against individuals perceived as racists, fascists, or political adversaries, occurring across nine states since the beginning of the year.
Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, is accused of setting off eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership located in Salem, Oregon, destroying one vehicle and damaging several others.
Lansky also allegedly threw a “large heavy object through the dealership window,” prosecutors said. At the time of the attack, he was armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle.
Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, 42, was arrested in Loveland, Colorado, on Jan. 29 after attempting to light Teslas on fire with Molotov cocktails, prosecutors said.
Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, was arrested in South Carolina for allegedly setting fire to a Tesla charging station and spray-painting pro-Ukraine and anti-Trump messages on the property on March 7.
Five Tesla vehicles were set on fire and shot at in what police are investigating as a “targeted attack” at a local repair center in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Hal Sparks via Storyful)
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said when announcing the federal charges. “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.”
While there haven’t been any suspected arson incidents since Bondi levied those charges, vandalism of Teslas has continued.
Authorities are investigating a possible arson attack involving a Molotov cocktail on five Teslas at a collision center in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Souphany Vannavong via Storyful)
In Wichita, Kansas, Abigail Gill said her vehicle was scratched from end to end on both sides while she ate dinner with her family over the weekend, KAKE reported.
Gill, who is wheelchair-bound, said “it’s going to take some time before I’m able to drive and move in a vehicle,” adding that the damage to the vehicle will cost between $1,000 and $10,000 to repair.
“Damaging a personal vehicle does not affect Elon Musk,” said Gill. “It’s not damaging who you’re thinking it is.”
In Palm Beach, Florida a man slowly drove his car onto a sidewalk filled with anti-Tesla protestors, according to Associated Press. Nobody was hit by the vehicle, but the driver, Andrew Dutil, was arrested and charged with assault.
Andrew Dutil was arrested for assault after allegedly driving into anti-Musk protestors. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)
FBI Director Kash Patel said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Night in America” that the FBI is honing in on violent criminals.
“The consequential mission of the FBI is to safeguard our citizenry and our way of life and to investigate those who do harm to our citizenry,” Patel said.
“Right now, the major portion of that focus is on sex trafficking, is on fentanyl and heroin overdoses and is on violent crime in the form of gang-related murders and homicides and rapes.”
Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
