Separate arson attacks Tuesday at Tesla dealerships in Las Vegas and Kansas City prompted the FBI to launch a terrorism investigation, as the wave of vandalism against the popular electric vehicles follows CEO Elon Musk being enlisted as President Trump’s auditor-in-chief.
The two attacks, which authorities said are similar but they do not believe were coordinated, involved the suspects torching the electric vehicles in Tesla parking lots overnight.
Las Vegas officials said a male suspect used Molotov cocktails to set two Tesla cars on fire at about 2:45 a.m. Tuesday. He also fired at least three bullets into cars on the lot and spray-painted the word “Resist” on the dealer’s front door.
That report came hours after a pair of Cybertrucks were destroyed in a suspected arson late Monday night in Kansas City, local police said.
Police in both cities said there have been no arrests or persons of interest identified at this time.
FBI leaders in Las Vegas said they are looking into Tuesday’s incident as a possible act of terrorism because it has some of the “hallmarks” of a politically motivated attack.
Federal agents also warned copycat vandals about carrying out more such attacks, which have been reported across the country ever since Mr. Musk was tasked with exposing and eliminating wasteful federal spending.
“To those who might think something like this is justifiable, or potentially even admirable, we want to let you know it’s a federal crime,” said Spencer Evans, the FBI Las Vegas’ Special Agent in Charge. “We will come after you. We will find you, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
The FBI’s definition of “domestic terrorism” is “violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political [or other] nature.”
For his part, Mr. Musk called the attacks “terrorism” on X.
“This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,” he posted on the social media site, which he owns. “Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”
Video obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal shows at least two cars engulfed in flames, with one of the cars exploding and sending out bright blue sparks.
Vandalism attacks at Tesla dealerships have become a growing trend as Mr. Trump sets his sights on overhauling the federal government.
Assailants have shot up empty showrooms and destroyed vehicles with Molotov cocktails in attacks reported in Oregon, Massachusetts, Colorado and Washington state.
Police have only made a few arrests in the more than dozen targeted property crimes, including a man linked to torching a Tesla vehicle and shooting up a dealership in Oregon, and a transgender woman tied to igniting a Molotov cocktail and spray painting the word “Nazi” at a Colorado dealership.
There also have been mass demonstrations outside the electric-vehicle maker’s dealerships, called Tesla Takedown. Its leaders deny any ties to the vandalism, though the spray-painters deface vehicles with phrases similar to those used at the protests.
House Republicans on the Department of Government Efficiency subcommittee — which shares the same name as Mr. Musk’s DOGE agency — urged the FBI to investigate Democratic-leaning fundraising groups for possible connections to the vandalism.
Mr. Trump has also said he would label the attacks as “domestic terrorism” since there may be a political motivation behind them.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.