The FBI announced Monday the formation of a new task force to investigate a series of recent attacks targeting Elon Musk’s Tesla.
The task force, made up of 10 FBI agents, will work alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Special agents and intelligence analysts from the ATF will collaborate with FBI personnel from the Counterterrorism Division, including those focused on Domestic Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction, reported the New York Post.
The FBI’s announcement came shortly after a bomb squad discovered incendiary devices at a Tesla showroom in Austin, Texas, where the company’s headquarters was located. The latest incident adds to a growing list of similar attacks on Tesla properties.
The agency is treating these attacks as domestic terrorism and is tracking individuals suspected of planning attacks, which are reportedly linked to Musk’s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration.
“This is domestic terrorism,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted Monday on X. “Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice.”
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.
This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice. https://t.co/U4VYh8XEve
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 24, 2025
“Tesla takedown” scheduled on March 29
The FBI is also investigating an anarchist blog based in Salt Lake City, Utah, linked to a mass protest called “Tesla Takedown,” scheduled for March 29. The protest aims to organize 500 demonstrations at Tesla showrooms and charging stations across the U.S.
“Elon Musk is destroying our democracy, and he’s using the fortune he built at Tesla to do it,” according to the group’s webpage. “We are taking action at Tesla to stop Musk’s illegal coup.”
“The US government has a long history of conflating peaceful protest with violence. The #TeslaTakedown movement has been & always will be nonviolent,” a spokesperson for Tesla Takedown told CNBC.
Further, the FBI has discovered a website, Dogeque.st, which is allegedly sharing personal information about Tesla employees and locations across the country. The website is being run from São Tomé, an island country off the coast of West Africa.
Escalating cases of vandalism
So far, the FBI has investigated at least seven of 48 reported incidents this month involving Tesla vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations. These incidents include reports of arson and vandalism, with some targeting Tesla vehicles directly. In total, there have been over 80 cases of vandalism and arson involving Tesla vehicles in both the U.S. and Canada.
Three individuals have been arrested in connection with these attacks.
Support for Musk
Musk addressed the spate of vandalism during a Tesla event last Thursday, stating, “If you read the news, it feels like, you know, Armageddon.” He described those setting Tesla vehicles on fire as “psycho” and urged them to “stop being psycho!”
The U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has also labeled the attacks as “domestic terrorism” and emphasized that those responsible face serious consequences, including up to 20 years in prison.
Earlier this month, Musk and President Donald Trump hosted an event at the White House, showcasing Tesla vehicles to the media. Trump expressed his admiration for the vehicles, even announcing that he had purchased a Tesla Cybertruck for his granddaughter.
Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urged the public to buy Tesla stock.
