United States: In a forceful breach conducted in Lacey, Washington—nestled close to Olympia’s legislative corridors—federal agents uncovered a disturbing treasure trove of war-grade arms, ammunition, and neo-Nazi regalia, authorities divulged on Tuesday.
Sheriff Derek Sanders, who serves Thurston County by electoral mandate, detailed on Facebook that his office has joined forces with the US Army Criminal Investigation Division following a formal request for tactical support. The operation was spearheaded by an elite FBI SWAT unit and connected to a harrowing robbery and misappropriation of military-grade equipment.
According to an official dispatch from the US Attorney’s Office in Seattle, this incursion stemmed from a joint FBI-Army CID probe into a violent confrontation at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which had unfurled on Sunday, just north of Olympia’s perimeter.
Two individuals were apprehended and processed into the Thurston County Jail. The detainees are being scrutinized for infractions related to illegal possession and possible deployment of firearms, the Sheriff’s office confirmed, according to ABC News.
Sheriff Sanders’ communique underscored that the suspects are reportedly immersed in Nazi-aligned white nationalist circles, signaling ideological motivations behind the amassed weaponry.
While Sanders refrained from responding to press inquiries on Tuesday evening, federal authorities indicated a detailed criminal affidavit would be unveiled in the following day’s legal proceedings. The accused were slated to appear before the US District Court in Tacoma by Wednesday afternoon.
Among the confiscated inventory were 35 firearms, inclusive of abbreviated-barrel rifles and an MG42 machine gun—a relic notorious for its battlefield legacy with German troops in WWII, typically outfitted with a bipod for rapid assault capacity. The arsenal further encompassed grenade launchers, ordinance, reinforced armor, ballistic protection headgear, and strategically-positioned rifles pointed outward from residence windows, suggesting tactical readiness.
Images shared by Sanders painted a chilling tableau: assault weapons and stockpiled bullets flanked by overt Nazi symbols, including the unmistakable red flag emblazoned with a stark black swastika. The visual evidence amplified public concern over ideological extremism festering behind closed doors, as per ABC News.
The FBI’s Seattle branch affirmed its auxiliary role, echoing that the primary investigative reins were held by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and the Army CID.
Further revelations were expected as the federal complaint becomes public record, casting light on the sinister undercurrents surrounding the cache and its connection to an expanding web of white nationalist extremism.
