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FBI arrests member of anti-migrant militia group

By Tauren Dyson
A member of an armed militia group that had been rounding up migrants has been arrested by the FBI in New Mexico. File Photo by Natalie Krebs/UPI
A member of an armed militia group that had been rounding up migrants has been arrested by the FBI in New Mexico. File Photo by Natalie Krebs/UPI | License Photo

April 20 (UPI) -- The FBI has arrested a member of an armed militia that had been rounding up migrants in New Mexico.

Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 69,  was arrested for possessing a firearm as a felon.

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Hopkins reportedly belongs to a group called United Constitutional Patriots, which last week posted a video to Facebook appearing to have detained migrants.

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas called Hopkins "a dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families. Today's arrest by the FBI indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, no armed vigilantes."

Balderas said Hopkins is a member of the armed group, which had been detaining migrants near Sunland Park, N.M.

On Thursday, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico sent a letter to Balderas and Gov. Lujan Grisham calling the group vigilantes who had arrested more than 300 people, including children.

"They have no authority under New Mexico or federal law to detain or arrest migrants in the United States," the letter said.

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