April 15 (UPI) -- Federal authorities have arrested and charged a 40-year-old man in connection with arson attacks at an Albuquerque Tesla dealership and the office of the Republican Party of New Mexico.
The suspect, Jamison Wagner, has been charged with two counts of malicious damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives and faces between five and 20 years in prison for each count if convicted, the Justice Department announced Monday in a statement.
Wagner was arrested Saturday by agents with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that evidence recovered suggests that they may have prevented further attacks.
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"Amazing work from our teams, ATF colleagues, and regional law enforcement partners executing the mission," Patel said.
"This is part of our FBI mandate to locate those responsible for the domestic terrorist attacks on Tesla and promptly bring them to justice."
According to the criminal complaint, a fire erupted at a Tesla Albuquerque showroom early on Feb. 9. Officers arrived at the scene to find significant evidence of vandalism.
Two Tesla cars parked outside the showroom were damaged, including one significantly, by fire. Upwards of 11 vehicles were spray-painted as were exterior walls of the facility with phrases such as "Die Elon" and "Tesla Nazi Inc.," the document states.
A device containing a gelatinous substance -- later identified by the ATF forensic laboratory as improvised napalm -- was found in one of the damaged vehicles.
The attack was captured by surveillance cameras.
Then on March 30, shortly before 6 a.m., a fire was reported at the Republican Party of New Mexico office. The fire damaged the front door and entry area. Responding authorities also found "ICE=KKK" spray-painted on one of the building's exterior walls.
"A fire scene examination was conducted, and based upon the data collected during the examination, an ATF Fire Investigator classified the fire as incendiary, meaning an intentional human act," the complaint states.
The ensuing investigation determined that both crimes involved homemade incendiary devices using glass containers and flammable liquids. The investigators were also able to determine that Wanger was a person of interest in both crimes due to surveillance footage retrieved from the scenes and the fact that he owns a white 2015 Hyundai Accent, a vehicle a suspect had been seen exiting before attacking the Republican Party building and returning to before fleeing.
"Let this be the final lesson to those taking part in this ongoing wave of political violence," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
"We will arrest you, we will prosecute you and we will not negotiate. Crimes have consequences."
Tesla has become a target of anger for opponents of the Trump administration and Elon Musk, the CEO of U.S. automaker.
After backing Trump's election campaign with hundreds of millions of dollars, Musk was appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, which has been tasked with eliminating waste and fraud from the federal government, often through mass firings.
Though there have been nonviolent protests at Tesla dealerships, they have also been the target for violent vandalism, which prompted Bondi last month to describe the attacks as "domestic terrorism."
