FBI agents conduct raids in Mich., Ohio, Ind.

AP ^ | 3-28-10 | By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER

[CincyRichieRich]

ADRIAN, Mich. – The FBI said Sunday that agents conducted weekend raids in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio and arrested at least three people, and a militia leader in Michigan said the target of at least one of the raids was a Christian militia group.

Federal warrants were sealed, but FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold said there had been activity in two southwest Michigan counties near the Ohio state line. She wouldn't say whether they were tied to the raids in the other states.

FBI spokesman Scott Wilson in Cleveland said agents arrested two people Saturday after raids in two towns in Ohio. A third arrest was made in northeast Illinois on Sunday, a day after a raid took place just over the border in northwest Indiana.

Michael Lackomar, a spokesman for the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, said one of his team leaders got a frantic phone call Saturday evening from members of Hutaree, a Christian militia group, who said their property in southwest Michigan was being raided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"They said they were under attack by the ATF and wanted a place to hide," Lackomar said. "My team leader said, 'no thanks.' "

[CincyRichieRich]

Looks Like Obama Has Started to Take Away Arms; Patriotic groups are illegal, Islamic groups are free to do as they please. Oh my, it has started. Don't tell me this wasn't orchestrated by Eric Holder and Obama. What's next?

[HiTech RedNeck]

This looks like the Hutaree website: www.hutaree.com

Looks like they might be a mite on the flake and nut side.

[Caesar Soze]

Looks Like Obama Has Started to Take Away Arms; Patriotic groups are illegal, Islamic groups are free to do as they please.

This isn't a patriotic group. Watch their YouTube videos. They don't fly the American flag.

[Domandred]

From one of the other threads supposedly someone was trying to sell pipe bombs. If so a warrant and arrest probably legitimate.

However, several States and several agencies is way overkill and designed to provoke a reaction.

[Mad Dawgg]

"Oh my, it has started. Don't tell me this wasn't orchestrated by Eric Holder and Obama. What's next?"

Be very afraid!

[cripplecreek]

"They said they were under attack by the ATF and wanted a place to hide," Lackomar said. "My team leader said, 'no thanks.' "

I'm really starting to wonder if this Hutaree group isn't an FBI front group. What better way to search legitimate Militia property than to chase a wanted group onto that property.

[rbosque]

I wish they’d tackled illegal immigration or Islamic terrorist camps here is the US with just as much zeal.

[Touch Not the Cat]

.
I hate to sound stupid but -- I read the article twice and can't see why they are being raided.

[Brilliant]

I’m unclear on what the crime was.

[Mr. Right Now]

What crimes are they being charged with? No mention of that.
It’s not illegal to be a crackpot! Are the charges trumped up or were they planning something illegal?

[Terry Mross]

Question: You’re in a re-education camp along with idiots who actually voted for Obama and now sit and complain. You have an escape plan. Would you let them join you?

Or you stage an uprising and take over the camp. You are going to execute the guards. Would you also execute the the cause of this camp?

[popdonnelly]

Calm down and wait to see what the people arrested are charged with.

[Mad Dawgg]

"This isn't a patriotic group. Watch their YouTube videos. They don't fly the American flag."

hmmm OK how do you know they don't fly the American Flag? How does one prove such a statment? AND if one does not fly the American flag does this prove one is not patriotic? I have not flown the American flag once in 2010. Am I branded a non-patriot now?

[hiredhand]

From one of the other threads supposedly someone was trying to sell pipe bombs. If so a warrant and arrest probably legitimate.

...probably a lot like Randy Weaver was trying to by that illegal, sawed off shotgun.

These types of groups will get nailed first and always. It's the ones without websites that the goons should be worrying about.

[Kenny500c]

“Sandra Berchtold said there had been activity in two southwest Michigan counties”

No, the counties are in southeast Michigan.

[KeyLargo]

“I’m really starting to wonder if this Hutaree group isn’t an FBI front group. What better way to search legitimate Militia property than to chase a wanted group onto that property. “

Exactly.

COINTELPRO is an acronym for a series of FBI counterintelligence programs designed to neutralize political dissidents. Although covert operations have been employed throughout FBI history, the formal COINTELPRO’s of 1956-1971 were broadly targeted against radical political organizations

http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/cointel.htm

[WKUHilltopper]

“Federal warrants were sealed, but FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold said there had been activity in two southwest Michigan counties near the Ohio state line.”

Activity? What’s that mean? They were cooking hotdogs, singing campfire songs or getting ready to bomb something? Sounds like a crock to me and intentionally vague.

[Travis McGee]

CW2 Ping

[ebersole]

Is it just me or is it that our federal agencies don’t even know their geography? SW MI borders IN and SE MI borders OH

“but FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold said there had been activity in two southwest Michigan counties near the Ohio state line”

[Mr. K]

" Lackomar said he heard from other militia members that the FBI targeted the Hutaree after its members made threats of violence against Islamic organizations "

So they raided them for thought crimes against diaper-heads?