An Army soldier was arrested Monday in Kansas after the FBI said he expressed a desire to attack 2020 Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke, an American news network, and join a far-right Ukrainian paramilitary group.
Jarrett William Smith, 24, of Fort Riley, was charged in federal court with one count of distributing information related to explosives and weapons of mass destruction.
According to the Justice Department, Smith, who has been in the Army for two years, “said on Facebook he was interested in traveling to the Ukraine to fight with a paramilitary group called the Azov Batallion.”
Azov Battalion is a far-right Ukrainian national guard regiment known for ultra-nationalism and its use of neo-Nazi symbolism.
Smith allegedly told an undercover agent that he was “looking for ‘radicals’ like himself,” and during a Facebook chat offered to teach other users how to make cellphone explosive devices.
He also discussed “killing members of the far left group, Antifa, as well as destroying nearby cell towers or local news station,” according to the criminal complaint in the case.
An undercover FBI agent asked Smith, “You got anyone down in Texas that would be a good fit for fire, destruction and death?” Smith allegedly responded, “Outside of Beto? I don’t know enough people that would be relevant enough to cause a change if they die.”
According to the criminal complaint, Smith also suggested that “the headquarters of a major American news network” could be a target for a vehicle bomb.
“A large vehicle bomb. Fill a vehicle full of [various explosive materials], then fill a ping pong ball with [commonly available chemical] via drilling then injection. Put the ball in the tank of the vehicle and leave. 30 minutes later, BOOM,” court documents quote him as writing.
Investigators say Smith had also been in contact with another American, Craig Lang. Lang traveled to Ukraine and had fought with another far-right group known as the Right Sector.
In December of last year, it is alleged that Smith led a Facebook chat along with Lang where he boasted of his ability to produce improvised explosive devices.
“Oh yeah, I got knowledge of IEDs for days. We can make cell phone IEDs in the style of the Afghans. I can teach you that,” Smith told an undercover agent, later detailing instructions on how to build a cellphone detonator.
Smith faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
This story is breaking and will be updated…
