‘If that leads to a break in the federal statute or a violation of some law, then we are going to arrest people,’ the FBI director said.
FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday confirmed that the bureau is investigating groups who are allegedly organizing protests against immigration officials in Minneapolis, amid daily demonstrations in the city.
In an interview with podcast host Benny Johnson, Patel said that the FBI is investigating whether there is any illegal activity within the protest movement in the city, while adding that he was made aware of reporting by an influencer, Cam Higby, who said he infiltrated a Signal chat group used by rioters and protesters.
“We look at all this stuff,” Patel told Johnson on Monday. “As soon as Higby put that post out, I opened an investigation on it. We immediately opened up that investigation because that sort of Signal chat, being coordinated with individuals not just locally in Minnesota—but maybe even around the country—if that leads to a break in the federal statute or a violation of some law, then we are going to arrest people.”
Patel noted that while peaceful protesting is legal, rioting is not. He also suggested it’s illegal for groups to track federal law enforcement and use databases to doxx agents or input license plate numbers used by agents.
“You cannot create a scenario that illegally traps and puts law enforcement in harm’s way,” Patel said. “We have to let the community know that we will not tolerate acts of violence.”
Patel added that investigators “will balance the First and Second Amendment constantly, but we have to let the community know that we will not tolerate acts of violence and an escalation and a violation of the federal code.”
“There has to be a break point,” he said, “and you’ve seen it broken in Minneapolis time and time again.”
His remarks come as tensions have flared in the city after a federal Customs and Border Protection agent shot and killed a protester, later identified as Alex Pretti, during an incident in Minneapolis on Saturday. Federal officials have said that the shooting appears to have been justified, saying that he was carrying a gun as he interfered with an arrest of an illegal immigrant.
