Authorities in Texas have launched an investigation after multiple incendiary devices were discovered at a Tesla dealership in Austin, amid a series of attacks on the electric vehicle company.
Explosives found at Tesla dealership in Austin, Texas
The Austin Police Department confirmed the terrifying discovery early Monday morning, just after 8:00 a.m.
Officers responded to the scene and quickly called in the department’s bomb squad to handle disarming the devices. Fortunately, no damage was reported at the location.
According to KVUE, the devices were found at a dealership where protests linked to CEO Elon Musk’s involvement with the Trump administration have been occurring, though no evidence currently links the explosive devices to the demonstrators.
In response to the growing threats against Tesla, the FBI has assembled a specialized task force dedicated to shutting down the attacks.
The bureau has received 48 reports this month alone regarding incidents targeting Tesla vehicles, charging stations, and dealerships.
Acts of vandalism and destruction have already been documented in at least nine states.
At least seven of those cases are under active investigation in collaboration with local law enforcement, the New York Post reported.
Incendiary devices found at Tesla dealership in Austin lead to FBI task force
The escalating violence has prompted the FBI to allocate additional resources, including a newly formed 10-person task force composed of special agents and intelligence analysts.
These personnel are working in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division.
ATF agents are being deployed to various FBI field offices, beginning with San Antonio, Texas.
FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the situation on Monday, stating, “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.”
Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has publicly addressed what he describes as a coordinated effort to target him and his company.
Speaking on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Musk alleged that his work in reducing government waste and fraud has made him a target.
“It turns out when you take away people’s, you know, the money that they’re receiving fraudulently, they get very upset,” Musk stated.
“And they basically want to kill me because I’m stopping their fraud, and they want to hurt Tesla because we’re stopping the terrible waste and corruption in the government. And, well, I guess they’re bad people. Bad people do bad things.”
Musk also speculated that left-wing groups might be behind the attacks, echoing claims made by conservative lawmakers.
“I think there are larger forces at work as well,” Musk added. “I mean, who’s funding and who’s coordinating it? Because this is crazy. I’ve never seen anything like this.
“Tesla is a peaceful company, we’ve never done anything harmful. I’ve never done anything harmful, I’ve only done productive things, so I think we just have a deranged… I think there’s some kind of mental illness going on here,” he continued.
Man drives into protesters at Tesla showroom
As tensions escalate, another Tesla-related act of violence took place in Florida over the weekend.
Law enforcement in Palm Beach County arrested a man accused of attacking a group of protesters outside a Tesla showroom.
Authorities say Andrew Dutil drove his black Nissan Pathfinder toward a gathering of more than 100 demonstrators near the Tesla dealership around 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Although no one was injured, witnesses reported that two elderly women narrowly avoided being struck.
“He drove into a crowd of senior citizens,” said Mark Offerman, a representative of the Democratic Progressive Caucus in Palm Beach County, which organized the protest.
“Everybody was able to move out, but two older women were really almost clipped. We immediately called the cops.”
According to an arrest report from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, Dutil parked his vehicle on a nearby sidewalk and claimed the car’s brakes and electronics had malfunctioned.
Witnesses told police that before leaving the dealership, Dutil stated he “stands with Tesla.”
Employees inside the showroom confirmed to local ABC affiliate WPLG that Dutil had expressed his support for the company before exiting the building.
