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The Department of Justice has charged three individuals with federal crimes after a string of attacks targeting Tesla vehicles and charging stations across multiple US states.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Tesla has become the focal point of a growing wave of politically charged attacks across the United States. Vandals have targeted its dealerships, vehicles, and charging stations using Molotov cocktails and, in one case, firearms. These incidents—reported in states like Oregon, Colorado, South Carolina, California, Nevada, and even Canada—have left dozens of Tesla cars damaged or destroyed, with some attackers spray-painting anti-Trump or anti-Musk messages at the scenes. Authorities believe the attacks are motivated by opposition to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s close alliance with President Trump and his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency. In response, Trump has labeled the perpetrators “terrorist thugs” and demanded they be treated as domestic terrorists, even suggesting they serve their sentences in El Salvador’s notorious prisons.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, the DOJ confirmed the arrests of Adam Matthew Lansky of Oregon, Lucy Grace Nelson of Colorado, and Daniel Brendan Kurt Clarke-Pounder of South Carolina. Each is facing various federal charges, including arson of property in interstate commerce, malicious destruction of property, and possession of unregistered destructive devices.
According to investigators, Lansky was allegedly armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle when he threw eight incendiary devices at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon. Nelson is accused of attempting to ignite Tesla vehicles in Loveland, Colorado, and of possessing materials to make additional firebombs. Clarke-Pounder reportedly vandalized Tesla charging stations with anti-Trump messages before setting them ablaze in Charleston, South Carolina.
If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. In a statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi described the attacks as part of a “wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties” and vowed that the Justice Department would pursue maximum penalties. “The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” she said, warning that anyone participating in similar attacks would be aggressively prosecuted and held accountable under federal law.
This all comes as Tesla faces mounting financial pressure amid a broader backlash and growing boycotts tied to Musk’s role in government. Once boosted by post-election optimism, Tesla’s stock has sank in recent weeks, erasing hundreds of billions in market value. Sales have also dropped in many international markets—mainly Europe—and resale values for Tesla vehicles have fallen dramatically.
