Federal authorities in the Western District of Kentucky announced the arrest of two men believed to be connected to the Boogaloo Boi anti-government movement.
John Subleski, 32, and Adam Turner, 35, were both believed to be members of the United Pharaoh’s Guard, a right-wing paramilitary group that self-identifies with Boogaloo Boi ideology. The pair allegedly threatened or confronted police officers in the last two months.
Subleski, who was charged with using a facility of interstate commerce to incite a riot and committing an act of violence in furtherance of a riot, was said to have instigated unrest in Louisville, Kentucky, on Jan. 6, the same day thousands of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a violent event that led to five deaths, including one law enforcement officer. The 32-year-old indicated that it was “time to storm [Louisville Metro Police Department],” while him and others in his group “pointed rifles at the driver of a vehicle, blocked intersections, and barricaded a number of roads,” authorities wrote in a complaint.
Investigators determined Subleski fired his rifle at one vehicle that attempted to circumvent the group’s attempt to obstruct traffic.
On Dec. 25, Turner, who was charged with menacing and resisting arrest, took part in an armed protest caravan in St. Matthews, Kentucky, according to investigators. The 35-year-old purportedly confronted law enforcement while carrying an AR-style pistol and a handgun.
Authorities said Turner threatened police officers on both Facebook and Twitter following his apprehension.
“I commend the outstanding work of the Louisville FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and our state and local law enforcement task force member agencies who work tirelessly every day to identify, locate, and apprehend for prosecution individuals who jeopardize the peace and safety of the citizens of the Western District of Kentucky,” acting U.S. Attorney Michael Bennett said in a statement.
In late January, the Department of Homeland Security issued a domestic terrorism bulletin in response to a “heightened threat environment across the United States” due to “violent extremists.”
“The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security has issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin due to a heightened threat environment across the United States, which DHS believes will persist in the weeks following the successful Presidential Inauguration,” the bulletin read. “Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence.”
The DHS added that some of the “extremists” were bred through “anger over COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 election results, and police use of force.” The agency cited the potential for threats to arise from “racial and ethnic tension.”
The FBI previously warned the public about looming threats of domestic terrorism, particularly about the “Boogaloo movement,” which seeks a “politically motivated civil war” in order to overthrow the government.
