http://detnews.com/article/20100328/METRO/3280313&template=printart
March 28, 2010 http://detnews.com/article/20100328/METRO/3280313 Seven arrested in FBI raids linked to Christian militia group JENNIFER CHAMBERS The Detroit News At least seven people, including some from Michigan, have been arrested in raids by a FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana as part of an investigation into an Adrian-based Christian militia group, a person familiar with the matter said. The suspects are expected to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Detroit on Monday. On Sunday, a source close to the investigation in Washington, D.C. confirmed that FBI agents were conducting activities in Washtenaw and Lenawee counties over the weekend in connection to Hutaree, a Christian militia group. Detroit FBI Special Agent Sandra Berchtold told The Detroit News the federal warrants in the case are under court seal and declined further comment. Sources have said the FBI was in the second day of raids around the southeastern Michigan city of Adrian that are connected to a militia group, known as the Hutaree, an Adrian-based group whose members describe themselves as Christian soldiers preparing for the arrival and battle with the anti-Christ. WXYZ-TV reports that helicopters were spotted in the sky for much of Saturday night, and agents set up checkpoints throughout the area. Witnesses told the station that it was like a small army had descended on the area. The Department of Homeland Security and the Joint Terrorism Task Force are also involved in the raids. Mike Lackomar, of Michiganmilitia.com, said both The Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia and the Michiganmilitia.com were not a part of the raid. Lackomar said he heard from other militia members that the FBI targeted the Hutaree after its members made threats of violence against Islamic organizations. "Last night and into today the FBI conducted a raid against homes belonging to the Hutaree. They are a religious cult. They are not part of our militia community," he said. Lackomar said he was told there were five arrests Saturday and another five early Sunday. The FBI declined to comment. One of the Hutaree members called a Michigan militia leader for assistance Saturday after federal agents had already began their raid, Lackomar said, but the militia member -- who is of Islamic decent and had heard about the threats -- declined to offer help. That Michigan militia leader is now working with federal officials to provide information on the Hutaree member for the investigation, Lackomar said Sunday. "They are more of survivalist group and in an emergency they withdraw and stand their ground. They are actively training to be alongside Jesus," he said. Sources from the Michigan militia community said one of the FBI raids took place Saturday during a wake for a Hutaree member who had died of natural causes. A Hutaree leader was arrested during the wake while at the same time agents were conducting raids at other locations. The Associated Press is reporting that FBI spokesman Scott Wilson in Cleveland said agents arrested two people Saturday in northwest Ohio. A third arrest was made in Illinois on Sunday, a day after raids in northwest Indiana. Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on Islamic-American Relations of Michigan, made an announcement Sunday during the group's 10th anniversary banquet about receiving a call from a network journalist about the alleged threat against Muslims. "Don't allow this news to scare you away from practicing your faith," said Walid. Audible gaps were heard throughout the banquet hall when the news was announced. Walid said he will call local authorities about more information on the allegations. He urged local Muslims to recommitt themselves to their faith in light of the accusations. David Shepardson and Oralandar Brand-Williams contributed to this report. jchamb...@detnews.com">jchamb...@detnews.com http://www.nogalesinternational.com/articles/2010/03/26/news/doc4bacd63a65009291886671.txt Minutemen drop corporate status, vow to soldier onBy Jonathon Shacat BISBEE — The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps is dissolving as a corporation, but the movement will continue, according to the organization’s president. “The Minutemen will always be on the border, until it is secured,” said MCDC President Carmen Mercer of Tombstone. Chris Simcox formed the group in Cochise County in 2002 under the name Civil Homeland Defense, but it became Minuteman Civil Defense Corps in 2005. On Wednesday, Mercer said the group’s board recently decided the corporation is no longer needed. The dissolution process should be completed in April. “Many of our chapters have incorporated themselves and they are working under their own laws, so to speak,” she said. “That is very good because they wanted to do their own fundraising and they wanted to be an entity by themselves, so we encouraged that,” she added. Mercer said the decision to dissolve the corporation was made as a result of e-mail responses suggesting changes to the standard operating procedure for a proposed muster event. But Al Garza, former MCDC national executive director and vice president, suggested that the group’s financial situation may have caused the dissolution. “There have been many, many discussions and questions about the financing,” said Garza, who resigned his post in July over differences with MCDC leadership. “People were not satisfied with the answers. It is an unresolved problem. … I am sure that that ghost is still there and haunting everybody.” ‘Locked and loaded’ The MCDC sent a message March 16 asking people to return to the border starting Friday, “locked and loaded and ready to stop each and every person.” In the past, participants would sit in lawn chairs and look for illegal activity and then report sightings to Border Patrol. But it was difficult for Border Patrol to pinpoint the location and apprehend the illegal immigrants. Mercer said the initial idea for the muster was to let people follow the illegal immigrants when they scatter so they would know the exact location to report to the Border Patrol. However, many of the replies to the e-mail were from people feeling fed up with the government and aggressive. “We did not want to take the liability for that,” she said. http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2010/03/minuteman_civil_defense_corps.php Minuteman Civil Defense Corps Disbanding -- Sort Of By James King, Thursday, Mar. 25 2010 @ 1:54PM The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps announced this week that it will disband as a corporation. However, as a hate-mongering group of anti-immigration fanatics, local factions of the organization will continue to "stand guard" at the border, according to the group's president. Carmen Mercer, president of the Minutemen, tells New Times that the group has decided to ditch its corporate status to hopefully avoid potential lawsuits that could harm the movement as a whole. Mercer is nervous that members of the Minuteman movement could take their anti-illegal-immigrant crusade too far and do something illegal (Shawna Forde ring any bells?) and the organization could be held accountable. "We believe the liability issue is just too great," Mercer says. "It only takes one bad apple to ruin the accomplishments and progress we've made over the last eight years." Mercer says Americans are too mad right now to just sit quietly, and she herself is "fed up with our government." "You saw what happened with the healthcare debate and the Tea Party people," Mercer says, referring to recent violent backlashes attributed to rogue members of the Tea Party movement. "People will not just sit in their lawn chairs anymore." Just because the corporate aspect of the movement is gone, Mercer says that doesn't mean the group is giving up the "fight." "We'll stay on the border, and in the Legislature until our demands are met," she says.
