The FBI asserted on Monday, March 2025, that it has launched a task force whose mission is to investigate the recent attacks on Tesla, the electric vehicle company whose CEO and founder is Trump administration DOGE chief Elon Musk.
The announcement came hours after multiple incendiary devices were found at an Austin, Texas Tesla showroom. Austin is also the same city where the company has its headquarters.
The FBI task force is not alone
The task force is operating hand-in-hand with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The task force announcement was first reported by the New York Post.
The incendiary devices were the latest incident of many involving attacks and acts of vandalism on Tesla properties owned by Musk and his DOGE team.
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There have been protests, too
According to NBC News reports, There have been a minimum of 80 reported cases of vandalism or arson of Tesla vehicles in the United States and Canada. Not only this but there have also been peaceful protests at Tesla showrooms.
FBI Director Kash Patel has spoken
“The FBI has been investigating the increase in violent activity toward Tesla, and over the last few days, we have taken additional steps to crack down and coordinate our response,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice,” Patel continued.
Musk broke his silence at a Tesla event
“If you read the news, it feels like, you know, Armageddon,” he told his employees. He also added that anyone who burnt Tesla vehicles was being a “psycho” and they should “stop being psycho!”
A Tesla employee told CNBC that there hasn’t been communication about about protests or criminal acts targeting the company since Thursday’s event.
Trump and others have his back
US President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have defended both Tesla and Musk in the past few weeks and condemned the attackers and vandals for their actions.
Several people were arrested
Bondi highlighted the arrests of several people connected to acts of vandalism of Tesla vehicles. In addition, Trump suggested that those convicted of such crimes could be sent to serve their sentence in prisons in El Salvador.
