Suspects arrested in plot to attack power stations, destroy Baltimore

Discussion in 'Politics' started by gwb-trading, Feb 6, 2023.

  1. gwb-trading

    gwb-trading

    Destroy Baltimore? I don't know if the reporters took a recent look at Baltimore.

    However in summary, this trend of racist extremists attacking the power grid in order to cause a race war is becoming a significant issue. We had the attacks on substations in North Carolina just a few weeks ago.


    Suspects arrested in plot to attack power stations, destroy Baltimore: Prosecutors
    Prosecutors said the suspects were motivated by racist extremist ideology.
    https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspects-...-stations-destroy-baltimore/story?id=96923380


    A Florida man and a Maryland woman have been arrested on federal charges of plotting to attack multiple energy substation with the goal of destroying Baltimore, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.

    The suspects, Sarah Clendaniel of Catonsville, Maryland, and Brandon Russell of Orlando, Florida, were allegedly fueled by a racist extremist ideology as they "conspired to inflict maximum harm" on the power grid with the aim to "completely destroy" Baltimore, U.S. Attorney Erek Barron and a top FBI official said at a Monday morning press conference.

    Russell is quoted in court documents saying that attacking power transformers is "the greatest thing somebody can do." He is accused of providing instructions and location information for the substations he and Clendaniel allegedly sought to target as part of their plot, federal prosecutors said.

    Clendaniel allegedly told an FBI confidential source she was "determined" to carry out the attacks aimed at Baltimore's infrastructure, saying, "It would lay this city to waste."

    "Their actions threatened the electricity and heat of our homes, hospitals and businesses," said Thomas Sobocinski, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore field office. "The FBI believes this was a real threat."

    Sobocinski said the two suspects "had extremist views" and believed that by conducting the attacks, they would bring further light to their views. Sobocinski declined to go into specifics when pressed by reporters.

    Russell, who was the founder of the notorious neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen, was incarcerated when he first met Clendaniel and both were out on probation as they coordinated their plans to attack the energy facilities, according to an affidavit in the case unsealed Monday.

    Russell had previously pleaded guilty in 2018 to charges of possessing an unregistered destructive device and was sentenced to five years in prison. His arrest on those earlier charges came after a man he was living with in Tampa, Devon Arthurs, killed two of their roommates and told investigators that they had been plotting to attack a nuclear plant in Florida and other energy infrastructure.

    After his release from prison, Russell allegedly began communicating in June 2022 with an FBI confidential informant he encouraged to carry out attacks against critical infrastructure, according to the affidavit. In a conversation last October, Russell allegedly told the informant that "putting holes in transformers... is the greatest thing somebody can do," affidavit alleges.

    Russell allegedly instructed the informant to carry out an attack "when there is greatest strain on the grid," adding, "when everyone is using electricity to either heat or cool their homes," the affidavit says.

    In December, Russell allegedly told the informant he knew of another person in Maryland who was also going to carry out an attack on an energy facility and offered to connect the informant with Clendaniel to coordinate their attacks to "maximize impact," according to the affidavit.

    Clendaniel allegedly told the informant she expected to die of a terminal illness in her kidneys in a few months and wanted to obtain a rifle as soon as possible to be able to carry out the attacks, according to the affidavit. She allegedly had a document on her computer referencing Hitler and the Unabomber, allegedly saying, "I would sacrifice everything for my people to just have a chance for our cause to succeed."

    In a recorded conversation with the informant on Jan. 29, Clendaniel allegedly said she planned to target five substations in the Baltimore area on the same day -- including ones in Norrisville, Reisterstown and Perry Hall, according to the affidavit.

    "[Clendaniel] described how there was a 'ring' around Baltimore and if they hit a number of them all in the same day, they 'would completely destroy this whole city,'" the affidavit alleges.

    Both and Russell are scheduled to make their initial federal court appearances on Monday -- Clendaniel in Baltimore and Russell in Orlando.

    The arrests come after a series of attacks on energy substations nationwide, including one in December in North Carolina that left 45,000 utility customers without electricity for days and prompted local officials to declare a state of emergency.

    The Department of Homeland Security has warned about similar attacks recently. A "National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin" issued on Nov. 30 said individuals and groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and personal grievances "continue to pose a persistent and lethal threat to the Homeland."

    In January, two men were arrested in Tacoma, Washington, and charged with conspiracy to damage energy facilities and possession of an unregistered firearm. Prosecutors said the suspects attacked four substations in the Tacoma area, causing more than $3 million in damage.

    In February 2022, three men -- Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, and Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22 -- pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, to crimes related to a scheme to attack power grids in the United States in furtherance of white supremacist ideology. As part of the conspiracy, each man was assigned a substation in a different region of the United States to attack with rifles, believing their plan would cost the government millions of dollars, cause unrest for Americans and even prompt a race war, federal prosecutors said.
     
    wrbtrader and Ricter like this.
  2. wrbtrader

    wrbtrader

    These types of attacks on our country Power Plants have occurred in other cities too. There must be an obvious weakness that these idiots see.

    Maybe more security with snipers should be good enough determent. :D

    wrbtrader
     
  3. Ricter

    Ricter

    Security is busy protecting our schools. Churches. Restaurants. Movie theaters. :D
     
  4. Mercor

    Mercor

    Another FBI infiltration story
    Clendaniel allegedly told an FBI confidential source

    Why cant the FBI infiltrate BLM , Antifa, Pro-life clinics attackers?????
     
  5. Cuddles

    Cuddles

    repost; but you know this.
     
  6. UsualName

    UsualName

    You ask a very good question because there are elements of those left wing groups that are violent, antagonistic and destructive. What they are not is organized. And, that, significantly diminishes their ability to plot anything of significance outside of opportunistic instances like protests, etc.

    The right wing groups are very much organized and capable of attacking outside of windows of opportunity. This makes them very dangerous. As a matter of fact right wing groups are the greatest threat domestic terrorism threat in America. But what makes them “infiltrate-able” is that they are organized. Every link in the chain is a chance to infiltrate by law enforcement.

    Look at the uni bomber. No organization and was able to go for some time until his brother figured him out. We still have no idea who sent anthrax after 9/11 or who planted bombs on January 6th. And most likely because it wasn’t from an organized effort.
     
    wrbtrader, Snuskpelle and gwb-trading like this.
  7. gwb-trading

    gwb-trading

    The Master Race always sends its best.

    Balt-pics.jpg
     
  8. It's concerning to hear about the plot to attack energy substations in Baltimore by a Florida man and a Maryland woman with racist extremist ideology. This is just one example of a growing trend of attacks on critical infrastructure by individuals and groups with extremist views. It's important for law enforcement to continue to be vigilant and take action to prevent these kinds of threats