“What do we think of an Intel tour of the Capitol tonight?” The FBI said a group member wrote in the chat. “Less of them out there. The posture can be lowered. Good opportunity to uncover weaknesses. “
On another occasion, the FBI agent saw boxes of glass bottles and heard Duong and another group member discuss using them to make Molotov cocktails. Duong and the agent discussed plans to test the not-yet-manufactured explosives, but got stuck.
The thing is, the FBI has a proven track record of infiltrating groups of people who never do the acts they fantasize about, encouraging them to fantasize even more, and then arresting them as terrorists. That is one thing, and it is relevant, that Duong has not yet been charged for it. But Duong was already, if only marginally, involved in a historic act of domestic terrorism, and the FBI must take seriously the threat of new groups emerging from that day, encouraged by the Trump mob’s ability to take over the Capitol storm and overwhelm police in the process.
Right-wing terrorism is a major threat in the US today. There are mysterious militias planning violence. A fascist group is vandalizing and marching in big cities. Extremist dreams of reshaping states to break new ground for them are picking up speed. And the attack on the Capitol was fueled by organized conspiracies by groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. In this setting, a group of members who store weapons must discuss how to make and test explosives, and take “an Intel run around the Capitol” seriously.
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