What are militia extremists and how do they operate?

Like many domestic terrorism groups, militia extremists are anti-government. What sets them apart is that they’re often organized into paramilitary groups that follow a military-style rank hierarchy.

Are there any active militia groups in the United States?

The Militia Movement. In particular, the Midwest remains a source of active and fairly large militia groups. In Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, active militia regularly meet and train. Perhaps the most active militia group in the country recently is the Kentucky State Militia, led by Charlie Puckett.

What is the militia movement and how did it start?

The militia movement is a relatively new right-wing extremist movement consisting of armed paramilitary groups, both formal and informal, with an anti-government, conspiracy-oriented ideology. Militia groups began to form not long after the deadly standoff at Waco, Texas, in 1993; by the spring of 1995, they had spread to almost every state.

What is an unorganized militia?

Gale’s appropriation of the term “unorganized militia” is significant; it is a statutory term in federal and state law that refers to the nominal manpower pool created a century ago when federal law formally abandoned compulsory militia service.

Does the United Nations have the right to use military forces?

One of their primary theories is that the United Nations—which they refer to as the New World Order, or NWO—has the right to use its military forces anywhere in the world (it doesn’t, of course). The extremists often train and prepare for what they foresee as an inevitable invasion of the U.S. by United Nations forces.

What other federal agencies does the FBI work with?

In addition to our lawful use of sophisticated investigative techniques, we’ve expanded our work with other federal agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and with our state and local partners.

Do the greatest threats to liberty come from within?

It was a moment of anxiety on the American right: As the Great Recession raged, protesters met the new president with accusations of socialism and tyranny. “The greatest threats to our liberty do not come from without,” Rhodes wrote online, “but from within.”