The FBI announced Thursday that it had halted a plan by militia members to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
The men have ties to a militia called Wolverine Watchmen. According to NPR, the agency watched the group for a while after its members tried to track down the home addresses of local law enforcement officers in order to attack and kill them.
The FBI added that it had gathered information about the group through informants and undercover agents. According to a criminal complaint, militia began training for a possible attack at Whitmer’s summer home earlier this year.
Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta have all been charged with kidnapping conspiracy.
Fox was caught on a recording in late July discussing the plans.
“Snap and grab, man. Grab the (expletive) governor. Just take the (expletive). Because at that point we do this, dude – it’s over. “
After Whitmer’s abduction, Fox planned to take her to a safe place in Wisconsin for “trial”, according to the complaint.
All of them are Michigan based except for Croft, who lives in Delaware. Another seven people who are either Wolverine Watchmen or militia workers have also been arrested, according to Dana Nessel, Michigan attorney general.
The group has now faced 19 state crimes, ranging from gang membership, material support for terrorist acts, to charges of carrying a firearm while committing a crime.
“Anti-government rhetoric and the emergence of groups representing extremist ideologies have increased worryingly,” Nessel said Thursday. “These groups often try to recruit new members by taking advantage of a moment of civil unrest to advance their agenda of self-reliance and armed resistance. This is more than just political disagreement or passionate advocacy. Some of the roles of these groups are simply to create havoc and cause harm to others. “
In early June, Fox and Croft met with more than 10 people in Dublin, Ohio and, according to the complaint, were discussing creating a society using the US Bill of Rights, how to be self-sufficient and how to recruit others into the effort.
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