Mysterious Crime Spree Targeted National Guard Equipment Stashes
1 min read
Summary
In the past seven weeks, four break-ins have been carried out at Tennessee National Guard armouries, during which intruders stole thermal weapons sights, laser target locators and night vision goggles.
It marks a spate of armoury break-ins across the US, raising concerns about the vulnerability of such facilities.
A memo from the Tennessee Fusion Centre, seen by Wired, suggests at least some of the incidents were likely carried out with help from someone with insider knowledge, as thieves appeared to know the location of secure key control boxes.
It also warned that although domestic violent extremists (DVEs) had previously stolen lower-level military gear, they had not succeeded in raiding an armoury for heavy military equipment.
DVEs planning such raids have been discussed in FBI and Defense Department reports, with one former Guard member identifying specific armouries he had served in and describing how to exploit their security.
Three of the four individuals who discussed raiding military facilities had also confirmed military backgrounds.
