WASHINGTON (AP) – While supporters of President Donald Trump gathered at the Capitol last week and sang the national anthem, a row of men wearing olive green helmets and body armor deliberately lumbered up the marble stairs in a row, each man holding the person’s coat collar which is in front of you.
The formation, known as “Ranger File,” is standard procedure for a combat team to “pile up” to breach a building – instantly recognizable to any US soldier or Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was a chilling sign that many at the forefront of the crowd that stormed the seat of American democracy had either received military training or were being educated by those who did.
An Associated Press review of public records, social media posts, and videos reveals at least 21 current or former members of the U.S. military or police force have been identified as being on or near the Capitol riot, with more than a dozen others under investigation but not yet named. In many cases, those who stormed the Capitol appeared to be using tactics, body armor, and technology such as two-way radio headsets similar to those of the police they faced.
Experts on homegrown extremism have been warning for years of attempts by far-right militants and white supremacist groups to radicalize and recruit people with military and law enforcement training, and say the January 6 uprising that killed five people was some of their own. worst. fears realized.
“ISIS and Al-Qaeda would drool over having someone with the training and experience of a US military officer,” said Michael German, a former FBI agent and fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. “These people have training and capabilities that go far beyond what any foreign terrorist group can do. Foreign terrorist groups do not have members who have a badge. “
One of the most prominent to come forward is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and a decorated Texas combat veteran who was arrested after being photographed on the Senate floor wearing a helmet and body armor while carrying a couple of handcuffs.
Another San Diego Air Force veteran was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer trying to jump through a barricade near the House room. A retired Navy SEAL, one of the most elite special war operatives in the military, posted a Facebook video of traveling from his Ohio home to the rally and seemingly approving the invasion of “our building, our home.”
Two small-town police officers in Virginia, both former infantrymen, were arrested by the FBI after posting a selfie of themselves in the Capitol, one of which was pointing his middle finger at the camera.
Attention is also paid to a captain in active service of psychological warfare from North Carolina, which hosted three busloads of people heading to Washington for the “Save America” rally in support of the president’s false claim that the November election was stolen from him.
Although the Pentagon declined to provide an estimate of the number of other active servicemen under investigation, prior to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, top military leaders were concerned enough that they issued a highly unusual warning to all service members. this week that the right to free speech does not give anyone the right to commit violence.
The chief of the US Capitol Police was forced to resign after the breach and several officers have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation into their behavior, including one posing for a selfie with a rioter and another depicting one of Trump wore red. Make America Great Again ”caps.
The AP’s review of hundreds of videos and photos of the insurgent riot shows that dozens of people were mixed in the crowd wearing military equipment, including helmets, body armor, backpacks and walkie-talkies. Dozens carried bear spray cans, baseball bats, hockey sticks, and pro-Trump flags attached to sturdy poles and later used to bash police officers.
A close examination of the group that marched up the stairs to help break through the Capitol shows that they wore military-style patches that read “MILITIA” and “OATHKEEPER.” Others wore patches and badges representing far-right militant groups, including the Proud Boys, the Three Percenters, and several self-proclaimed state militias.
The Oath Keepers, who claim to include members of thousands of current and former law enforcement and military veterans, have become staples of protests and counter-protests across the country, often heavily armed with semi-automatic carbines and tactical shotguns.
Stewart Rhodes, an Army veteran who founded the Oath Keepers in 2009 in response to Barack Obama’s presidency, said weeks before the Capitol uprising that his group was preparing for a civil war and that they were “ armed, ready to when the president calls us. “
Adam Newbold, the retired Navy SEAL from Lisbon, Ohio, whose military career spans more than two decades has included multiple combat awards for bravery, said in a January 5 Facebook video: “We are just very prepared, very capable and highly skilled patriots ready for a fight. “
He later posted a since-deleted follow-up video after the riot, in which he said he was “proud” of the attack.
Newbold, 45, did not respond to multiple messages from the AP, but in an interview with the Task & Purpose website, he denied ever entering the Capitol. He added that due to the fallout from the videos, he has resigned from a program that helps prepare prospective SEAL applicants.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Larry Rendall Brock Jr. Texas was released into house arrest on Thursday after a prosecutor alleged the former fighter pilot was handcuffed on the Senate floor for planning to take hostages.
“He plans to kidnap, restrain, maybe try, maybe execute,” said Assistant Attorney Jay Weimer. “His previous experience and training make him all the more dangerous.”
Army commanders at Fort Bragg, North Carolina are investigating the possible involvement of Captain Emily Rainey, the 30-year-old psychological operations officer and war veteran from Afghanistan who told the AP she traveled to Washington with 100 others to “oppose election fraud.” She insisted that she acted according to military regulations and that no one in her group entered the Capitol or broke the law.
“I was a private individual and did everything right and within my rights,” said Rainey.
So far, more than 110 people have been arrested on charges related to the Capitol riot, ranging from curfew violations to serious federal crimes related to theft and possession of weapons.
Brian Harrell, who was assistant secretary for infrastructure protection in the Department of Homeland Security until last year, said it is “clearly problematic” when “extremist bad actors” have a military and law enforcement background.
“Many have undergone specialized training, some have experienced fights, and nearly all have received disinformation and propaganda from illegal sources,” Harrell said. “They are fueled by conspiracy theories, feel like something is being stolen from them, and they are not interested in debate. This is a powder keg cocktail waiting to blow. “
The FBI warns of the potential for more bloodshed. In an internal bulletin released Sunday, the agency warned of plans for armed protests in all 50 capitals and in Washington DC in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, police departments in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, and Philadelphia announced that they were investigating whether members of their agencies were participating in the riot at the Capitol. The Philadelphia region transit authority is also investigating whether seven of its police officers who attended Trump’s Washington rally are violating laws.
A Texas sheriff announced last week that he had reported one of his lieutenants to the FBI after she posted photos of herself on social media with a crowd outside the Capitol. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that Lt. Roxanne Mathai, a 46-year-old warden, had the right to attend the meeting, but he is investigating whether she violated the law.
One of the messages Mathai shared was a photo that appeared to have been taken on Jan. 6 from the masses of Trump supporters outside the Capitol, captioned, “ Don’t lie. … apart from my children, this was indeed the best day of my life. And it’s not over yet. “
A lawyer for Mathai, a mother and longtime resident of San Antonio, said she attended the Trump rally but never entered the Capitol.
In Houston, Police Chief Art Acevedo said an 18-year veteran of the department suspected of being a member of the mob that violated the Capitol has been placed on leave and will undergo a disciplinary hearing.
“There is no excuse for criminal activity, especially from a police officer,” Acevedo said. “I can’t tell you how angry I am at the thought of a cop and other police officers who think they can storm the Capitol.”
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Bleiberg reported from Dallas and LaPorta from Delray Beach, Florida. Robert Burns and Mike Balsamo in Washington; Jim Mustian, Michael R. Sisak and Thalia Beaty in New York; Michael Kunzelman in College Park, Maryland; Juan A. Lozano in Houston; Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia; Martha Bellisle in Seattle; and Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed.
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Follow Associated Press Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck; Jake Bleiberg at http://twitter.com/JZBleiberg; and James LaPorta at http://twitter.com/JimLaPorta
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Contact AP’s global research team at [email protected]