The Extremism Roundup

Islamist Extremism

Eight crosses mark the location where terrorist Sayfullo Saipov intentionally drove his truck onto a Manhattan bike path, killing 8 people and injuring 12 - Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Jihadi Receives 8 Consecutive Life Sentences for New York City Attack

• Sayfullo Saipov, 34, of Uzbekistan, who carried out a terrorist attack in Manhattan in 2017, has been sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences, two concurrent life sentences, and a consecutive sentence of 260 years in prison.

• Saipov used a truck to kill eight victims and injure many more on a bike path in lower Manhattan in the name of ISIS.

• The Department of Justice and the FBI emphasized their commitment to pursuing justice for victims of terrorism and holding perpetrators accountable.

• Saipov's attack resulted in devastating injuries, including amputations, brain injuries, and significant psychological trauma among the survivors. Read More

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Google and Twitter in Social Media Terrorism Case

• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Google and Twitter in cases alleging social media liability in overseas terror attacks.
• Justice Clarence Thomas stated that the families of victims did not adequately show that the platforms “aided and abetted” the terrorists.
• The court emphasized that the social media companies did not intentionally provide substantial assistance to the attackers or participate in the attacks.
• The court declined to address the scope of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides legal immunity to internet companies for third-party content. Read More

Afghan National on Terror Watchlist Caught Crossing Southern Border

• An Afghan national on the FBI's terror watchlist was arrested by Border Patrol agents after illegally crossing into the U.S. in California.
• The individual was part of a group of migrants apprehended near Otay Mesa, Calif. A fingerprint scan revealed a match on the Terrorist Screening Database, prompting notification to the FBI.
• The arrest occurred just before the expiration of Title 42, an emergency policy that allowed border agents to turn away migrants due to COVID-19. The end of the policy has seen a surge in border crossings. Read More

Alt-Right & Alt-Left Extremism

River Smith - AP via Kare 11 screenshot

Minnesota Man Builds Arsenal to Fight Police

• River Smith, 21, of Minnesota pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a machine gun after telling an FBI informant about his plan to use automatic weapons against police and expressing admiration for mass shooters.

• Smith was initially charged with possession of a machine gun and attempting to possess unregistered hand grenades. He had paid an FBI informant for devices to convert guns to fully automatic fire and dummy grenades.

• Smith had expressed interest in joining neo-Nazi paramilitary groups and showed animosity toward racial and religious groups.

• Smith awaits sentencing. The maximum sentence for the offense is 10 years. Read More

Texas Man Who Idolized Mass Shooters Arrested for Possessing Homemade Bomb

• Twenty-two-year-old Noah Calderon, a Burleson, Texas man with a history of espousing white supremacist ideology on social media, has been indicted on one count of possession of a destructive device after allegedly detonating a homemade bomb in a residential neighborhood.
• The FBI became aware of Calderon's activities in October after he posted images on Snapchat showing homemade explosives and expressing admiration for white supremacist ideology and mass shootings, including the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.
• If convicted, Calderon could face up to 10 years in federal prison. Authorities believe that by apprehending him, they may have prevented a potential mass tragedy. Read More

 Hate Crimes

Michael Bivins in his first court appearance related to vandalism at synagogues and arson at a mosque in Portland, May 9, 2022, via KOIN screenshot

Former Journalist Not Fit to Stand Trial

• Former freelance journalist Michael Bivins, accused of targeting religious institutions in Portland, Ore., in 2022, has been deemed unfit to stand trial.

• Bivins faced charges related to vandalism at Congregation Shir Tikvah and Congregation Beth Israel, as well as an arson at the Muslim Community Center. He was also charged with five bias crimes.

• Mental evaluations conducted since June resulted in a recent court order declaring him unfit to proceed. He has been ordered to the Oregon State Hospital.

• Prior to his arrest, Bivins worked as a freelance journalist, focusing on political extremism. He had recently become homeless and was sleeping on the streets most nights. Read More

Man Arrested in Connection to Mosque Arson

• A 42-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an arson attack at the Tawhid Islamic Center of Minnesota in St. Paul.

• The suspect was taken into custody on Wednesday evening and is being held on suspicion of first-degree arson.

• This incident marks the sixth suspected attack on a mosque in Minnesota this year and the second in St. Paul in the past two weeks. Read More

School Threats

Law enforcement officers respond to threat at C Roy Charmichael Elementary School, Portola, Calif., via KCRA 3 screenshot

Portola, Calif. Schools Locked Down Due to Threats

• Two schools in Portola, Calif., were placed on lockdown following a credible threat, according to the Plumas Unified School District.

• Students were released to their parents. An ongoing investigation is being conducted, and it is uncertain when classes will resume. Read More

Former Student of Indiana School Arrested for School Threat

• Victoria Perkins, a former student of Greenfield-Central High School in Indiana, has been arrested for making a threat against the school after trespassing on the premises.

• Perkins posted a threatening image on her Instagram account referencing the burning of the high school. Weeks prior, Perkins was caught roaming the halls of the school while livestreaming her trespassing on Instagram, during which she made alarming comments about potentially shooting up the school.

• Concerned parents removed their children from school due to the threat, and Perkins is facing preliminary charges of intimidation. Read More

Former Student Threatens Michigan School

• Kenny Raymond Larkins, 20, a former student of Woodhaven High School in Michigan, has been arrested for making threats to shoot up the school during an erratic Instagram live stream, which prompted a shelter-in-place throughout the district while authorities investigated.

• Larkins has been charged with false report or threat of terrorism, a 20-year felony, and was given a $500,000 cash bond. He is scheduled for a probable cause conference on May 30. Read More

Hostile Foreign Influence Operations

Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, via FBI.gov screenshot

Russian National Charged With Ransomware Attacks

• The Justice Department has unsealed two indictments charging a Russian national, Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, with using three ransomware variants to attack numerous victims in the U.S., including law enforcement agencies and healthcare organizations.

• The indictment reveals specific attacks against a law enforcement agency in New Jersey, a nonprofit healthcare organization in New Jersey, and against the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.

• Matveev is charged with conspiring to transmit ransom demands, conspiring to damage protected computers, and intentionally damaging protected computers, which carry a potential prison sentence of over 20 years if convicted. Read More

State Department Develops AI Tool to Counter Russian Disinformation

• The U.S. State Department has developed an AI-based online tool called the Ukraine Content Aggregator to counter Russian disinformation on the Ukraine war.
• The tool will collect and share "verifiable Russian disinformation" with partner nations to combat Russia's relentless stream of disinformation about its aggression against Ukraine.
• Russia's disinformation efforts have also targeted regions like Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, exploiting anti-colonial sentiments to stir up distrust of Western governments. Read More

 Research and Trends in Extremism

On the second anniversary of the U.S. Capitol attack, the Rise and Resist Indict-Mobile vehicle circulated through Manhattan as the group’s activists gathered to demand that the DOJ move more swiftly to indict those most responsible -
Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

Domestic Terrorism Investigations Have Quadrupled

• Incidents of domestic terrorism have seen a 357 percent increase between 2013 and 2021, according to the federal government.

• The Government Accountability Office defines domestic terrorism as criminal acts in the U.S. that are dangerous to human life and appear intended to coerce a civilian population or influence the government's conduct.

• The Department of Homeland Security reported that racially or ethnically motivated attacks accounted for the largest category of incidents, while anti-government or anti-authority motivated extremism was the second largest category. Read More

Have You Found A Story You Think We Should Cover?

If you saw an article on violent extremism in the U.S. or hostile foreign influence that is reliable, timely, and fits into one of the six categories that we cover in this newsletter, please send us a note, either by replying directly to this email or by submitting a contact form under the appropriate "news tip" category.  

QUOTABLE 

“Freedom is the power to choose our own chains.”

-  Jean Jacques Rousseau

NOTE TO OUR READERS: We have pulled out the salient points of the articles in this newsletter to keep you informed and focused on the most relevant, important and timely news in national security and extremism. While our national security experts stand behind the summary bullets and deem them trustworthy, Clarion Project does not endorse all the views expressed in the articles linked.