FBI Launches Task Force To Tackle Tesla Violence

The FBI has launched a task force to investigate people who are setting fire to Tesla cars in the U.S.

Ben Williamson, the Assistant Director for Public Affairs at the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) announced on X, formerly Twitter, that the bureau has launched the unit with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to “coordinate investigative activity and crack down on violent Tesla attacks.”

The announcement follows an FBI warning about several attacks on Teslas and Tesla dealerships across the country.

Why It Matters

The move comes after Attorney General Pam Bondi declared that attacks on Teslas are “nothing short of domestic terrorism,” echoing President Donad Trump’s view.

However, under the Trump administration the FBI has cut staffing focused on domestic terrorism, and stopped using a tool for tracking related investigations, according to Reuters.

What To Know

Since January 2025, incidents targeting Tesla EVs have occurred in at least nine states, according to the FBI.

“These incidents have involved arson, gunfire, and vandalism, including graffiti expressing grievances against those the perpetrators perceive to be racists, fascists, or political opponents. These criminal actions appear to have been conducted by lone offenders, and all known incidents occurred at night,” said the agency in a statement.

These acts of vandalism appear to be random and uncoordinated, and so far nobody has been injured.

Tesla vandalism is not related to the Tesla Takedown protests which have been staged across the country since Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, became a key figure within Trump’s administration, tasked with cutting Federal spending via the advisory Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Tesla Takedown’s website states: “Tesla Takedown is a peaceful protest movement. We oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property. This protest is a lawful exercise of our First Amendment right to peaceful assembly.”

The Tesla Takedown protest planned for March 29 received support from Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett who told a virtual town hall of supporters that the 29th is her birthday and “all I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down.”

AG Bondi accused Crockett of advocating for violence through this statement, however Crockett stressed the importance of nonviolent protest at the town hall.

She said later on MSNBC that she would never make excuses for violent acts, unlike the Trump administration, who she said pardoned rioters charged with violently assaulting police officers on January 6.

Two Trump supporters at separate nonviolent Tesla protests have been arrested for violence at the events. One man has been charged with assault after allegedly driving his car into a group of Tesla protesters in Palm Beach over the weekend.

Another pro-Trump influencer was arrested over the weekend after allegedly producing a taser-like object at a Berkeley anti-Tesla protest.

One person, Lucy Grace Nelson of Lyons Colorado, has been charged in the past month over destruction of property at a Tesla dealership. However, it does not appear at this moment as if their case is being investigated as domestic terror.

Williamson said the FBI will be working with the ATF to coordinate their investigations. CNN has reported plans by the FBI to move as many as 1,000 agents away from the ATF and into the FBI, which would cut ATF agents by over a third.

According to CNN, their report garnered pushback from Republicans and FBI officials who are now pulling back portions of this plan, and FBI Director and acting ATF Director Kash Patel refuted the report, saying: “This ‘report’ is entirely false.”

What People Are Saying

Congresswoman Crockett: “I have learned, as I serve on the DOGE Oversight committee, that there is only one language that the people that are in charge understand right now, and that language is money.”

Ben Williamson, Assistant Director for Public Affairs at the FBI: “Can confirm: The FBI has launched a Task Force in conjunction with ATF to coordinate investigative activity and crack down on violent Tesla attacks. More to come.”

Pam Bondi, Attorney General: “The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism. The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences. We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”

What Happens Next

Tesla Takedown is planning a nationwide protest of 500 Tesla dealerships on March 29. Their events have only turned violent in the past when attacked by people not participating in the protest.