Reports from Washington state indicate that a significant stash of weaponry and armor, alongside Nazi decorations, was uncovered during a house raid by law enforcement this week.
According to reliable sources, Derek Sanders, the Sheriff of Thurston County, informed the public via a Facebook post that his office assisted the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and an FBI special weapons and tactics team. This cooperation occurred during the execution of a search warrant in Lacey, close to the state’s capital, Olympia. The search was initiated in response to a violent incident of robbery and theft involving military weaponry and armor.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle communicated that this search warrant was part of an ongoing investigation into an assault at Joint Base Lewis-McCord, located north of Olympia. This investigation is a joint effort by the Army CID and the FBI. The evidence suggests that two individuals were arrested and incarcerated in Thurston County Jail on suspicion of firearms-related offenses.
Sheriff Sanders stated, “The suspects identified in this case were actively involved in Nazi White Nationalist efforts.” The FBI’s Seattle office stated it was “assisting our partners Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and the Army Criminal Investigation Division.”
Additional information and a federal criminal complaint concerning this case are expected to be unveiled on Wednesday. The arrested individuals are set to make their initial appearances at the U.S. District Court in Tacoma on the same day.
Reports indicate that the law enforcement agents confiscated 35 firearms from the raided home. These included short-barrel rifles, an MG42 machine gun – a model typically seen with a bipod and used by German troops during World War II – grenade launchers, explosives, body armor, ammunition, and ballistic helmets. Sheriff Sanders stated that multiple rifles were positioned at windows throughout the residence. Photographs of the seized items showed an array of weapons and gear, surrounded by Nazi symbols, including a red Nazi flag marked with a black swastika.
