FBI charges man carrying ‘white privilege’ card who built bombs with alleged ‘intent to attack Democrats’

Homeland Security issues rare warning of threat from domestic ‘ideologically-motivated violent extremists’

A heavily-armed California man found with five pipe bombs, thousands of rounds of ammunition and a “white privilege” card has been charged by the FBI, as the Department of Homeland Security warned violent extremists may be emboldened following the deadly riots at the US Capitol.

Ian Benjamin Rogers, 44, was arrested last week after authorities raided his home and auto-repair business, discovering materials “that could be used to manufacture explosive devices”, FBI Special Agent Stephanie Minor wrote in an affidavit, including 49 firearms and two dozen ammunition boxes containing an estimated 15,000 rounds of ammunition.

The FBI went public with his arrest on Wednesday, with Agent Chris Fair saying at a press conference: “Our focus is on behaviour and those individuals who are not aspirational and have intent to use firearms and explosive devices.”

That afternoon, acting Secretary of Homeland Security David Pekoske issued a National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin that 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 fuelled by false narratives, could continue to mobilise to incite or commit violence.”

The acting homeland secretary said the threat was “likely to persist over the coming weeks” in the bulletin, suggesting continued tensions across the country and in Washington DC as the Senate conducts the former president’s second impeachment trial.

According to the FBI, Rogers possessed multiple writings containing rightwing extremist theories, including The Anarchist Cookbook and two copies of the US Army Special Forces Guide to Unconventional Warfare and US Army Guerrilla Warfare Handbook.

The FBI affidavit said Rogers’ phone contained messages indicating “his belief that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, and his intent to attack Democrats and places associated with Democrats in an effort to ensure Trump remained in office”.

In one message to an unidentified recipient who remains under investigation, he allegedly wrote: “I hope 45 goes to war if he doesn’t I will”.

Rogers faces state and federal charges, as well as up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted. He remains in custody with bail set at $5 million.

More than 400 suspects have been identified by the FBI since the Capitol riots, as the bureau reported receiving over 100,000 pieces of digital evidence from the public in the wake of the violence. Videos posted to social media platforms like Parler and Twitter by the rioters themselves have since been used to identify which members of the mob were responsible for specific instances of theft and destruction.