Hello, MilitiaWatch reader! Last year, we posted a yearly roundup looking at some of the major threads of militia activity in 2023. Here’s another year in the books, rounding off 2024 with a MW Yearly covering the year’s big stories. If you want to read last year’s roundup, it’s here:
Common Threads
Stories often don’t fit neatly into the container of a single month, so we’ve grouped trends together thematically. These themes include:
- Virginia in the Spotlight: Virginia was home to some of the most intense militia organizing this year, with a concerted return to county militia muster calls and a fiasco about a local Boogaloo actor.
- Militia Leaders Try to Make National Happen, Again: Alongside the significant struggles and successes of Virginia’s local organizing, a few militia leaders tried to once more invigorate national activism and coalition-building, to mixed results.
- Militia Millieu Sees Gains Locally, Amid Pushback: In addition to the stories detailed about Virginia, this year was certainly characterized by an uptick in militia-aligned candidates and a slew of legislative/policy battles about militias.
See the sections below for a handful of stories under each theme, often linked back to their context in previous MW Monthlies.
Virginia in the Spotlight
Constitutional and County Militias Shakily Return After Lull: Several county militias hosted musters this year, building momentum after a post-J6 lull in such activity. Here are some of the major local militia events in Virginia from this year:
- January: York County Poquoson Community Missions (fka ‘Constitutional Militia’) attends York County School Division board meeting, FOIA’s for names and addresses, faces swift consequences [link]
- March: Frederick County Militia musters (but fizzles) [link]
- October: Lynchburg County Militia [link], Southampton County Constitutional Militia [link] both muster, though in varying formats and to varied turnout
- Bonus: While not a Constitutional militia and not in Virginia, a Missouri church bulletin featured (and then apologized for) a militia muster call in their newsletter in June, too [link]
These groups represent an intentional strategy aligned with seeking approval and support from county governments, a dynamic that experts at PRA and the SPLC have detailed extensively.
The Neverending(?) Story of Russell Vane: In April, the Virginia Kekoas announced that they kicked out a member who they believe was trying to entrap them. The former Kekoa, Russell “Duke” Vane, joined the Kekoas in 2022 and attended their mobilization at the annual MLK Day Lobby Day organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL). In late April, the FBI raided Vane’s home and arrested him after finding materials seemingly meant to make poison. A judge then ordered that he remain jailed ahead of his trial. In August, Vane pleaded guilty to charges against him. In November, Vane was released after receiving a sentence of ‘time served’.
Another note on Virginia: The VCDL’s annual Lobby Day is usually on MLK Day, which is January 20 this year. They have announced their plans for the day, which usually draws at least a minor contingent of militia actors. Coincidentally, President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration falls on the same day. This doesn’t necessarily mean the day will be ‘wild’, but the energy might look a little different from the last few years’ low-energy mobilizations.
Militia Leaders Try to Make National Happen, Again
Eagle Pass Fiasco: Led by Greg Gibson and his United Patriot Party of North Carolina, militia activists and other conservatives mobilized towards Eagle Pass, Texas, harassing locals and creating a headache for nearby feds and cops. While militia activists operated under the auspices in part of trying to stop what they saw as a flow of drugs across the border, Texas cops arrested two aligned bloggers for drugs they had in their vehicle. Border vigilantism has been key to militia groups, including those coming from across great distances. An August ProPublica article detailed a III% network’s engagement on the US-Mexico border, for example. This year, and especially since the election, countless other less investigative reports included interviews from two prominent border militia leads, often without fact-checking the dubious claims put forward by these leaders.
NAPALM Established, Rebranded, and Fizzled: In early June, J6 pre-trial detainee Jake Long announced the formation of a new organization, the North American Patriot and Liberty Militia (NAPALM). In mid-June, Long rebranded NAPALM to the America First Constitutional Militia. It has fizzled in the six months since.
Militia Milieu Sees Gains Locally, Amid Pushback
Running for Office: In May, a Guardian article by Jason Wilson revealed that at least 66 members of Ammon Bundy’s People’s Rights Network ran for office under the GOP ticket in Oregon. In November, III% leader Matt Marshall beat a local sheriff in the election for Washington’s legislative district 2. In September, while speaking at the annual Second Amendment March at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, William Null (of Whitmer kidnapping plot notoriety, though he was ultimately found not guilty) announced his plans of running for governor in 2026.
Official Nassau Paramilitary Group Created: Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman established a county auxiliary police force, which has been interpreted as operating as a paramilitary militia under the county’s control. Debate over this move continued through much of the year.
Legal Challenges Around Militia and Gun Legislation Abound: In January, Representative Jamie Raskin introduced HR6981, which sought to target paramilitary activity at a federal level. It failed but resulted in a major outcry among the militia world. In March, Pike County State Attorney Walker Filbert determined that Pike County, Illinois could not legally create a county militia. Also the same month, Illinois’ assault weapons ban faced legal challenges from a prominent 2A organization and Idaho legislators turned to a III% leader for advice on bill amendments.
Month-by-Monthly
Look, if you just want a summary of the most impactful story of each month of this year, we get that. Here’s a quick review of a major headline-style story from each month this year, with a MW Monthly context link if it interests you.
January: NC Organizers Create a (Somewhat Underwhelming) Fiasco at Eagle Pass, Texas [link]
February: York County Poquoson Community Missions(/Constitutional Militia) Fucks Around with School Board Activism, Finds Out [link]
March: Virginia (ex-?)Boogaloo Group Announce They Kicked Out a Member, Accuse Him of Being a Fed [link]
April: Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman Creates Local Paramilitary Organization [link]
May: III% Activist Dan Wilson Pleads Guilty to J6 Charges [link]
June: Jake Long Tries to Establish NAPALM Network from Prison [link]
July: Fugitive Ammon Bundy Declares Bankruptcy [link]
August: Virginia Boogaloo Activist Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to Poisoncraft [link]
September: National Guard Announces Investigation into NCO Militia Leader, He Hosts a Muster Anyway [link]
October: Militias (and Nazis) Mobilize in Wake of Helene [link]
November: No MW Monthly, but 2nd American Militia Leaders O’Dell and Perry Were Finally Convicted for Border Plans [NYT]
December: No MW Monthly, but Early Convicted Prominent III% J6 Participant Receives Lightening of Sentence [Latin Times]
Thanks for being a reader and hope your 2024 ends with warmth, light, and love. Happy holidays and see you next year.