Federal authorities have arrested a 19-year-old college student in connection with a firebomb attack on a Tesla dealership in Kansas City, Missouri, that caused over $200,000 in damages and is now being investigated as a possible act of domestic terrorism.
The suspect, whose name has not been publicly released, is a student at a Boston-area university and was reportedly back home on spring break when he allegedly carried out the attack. On March 17, a Kansas City police officer on patrol noticed smoke pouring from a Tesla Cybertruck parked at the dealership. The blaze, which was later determined to be started using a Molotov cocktail, spread to another nearby Cybertruck and damaged two high-voltage charging stations.
Surveillance footage and eyewitness reports led investigators to the suspect, who was tracked and taken into custody by the FBI. According to the Department of Justice, he now faces two serious federal charges: one count of malicious damage by fire to property used in interstate commerce and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device.
If convicted, he could face up to 40 years in federal prison.
Attorney General Pam Bondi delivered a strong message following the arrest, warning that anyone targeting American businesses with politically motivated violence will face the full weight of the law. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it,” she stated.
The attack is part of a concerning pattern of vandalism and arson targeting Tesla facilities across the United States, incidents that have escalated alongside Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in President Trump’s government efficiency reforms. Musk, who now leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has become a lightning rod for anti-capitalist agitators and eco-extremists furious about his role in reshaping the federal bureaucracy.
FBI Director Kash Patel, speaking from Washington, didn’t mince words: “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. Political violence will not be tolerated—left, right, or otherwise.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is also assisting in the investigation as part of a multi-agency crackdown on acts of domestic sabotage against private industry.
While no official motive has been released, law enforcement sources suggest the suspect may have been inspired by radical anti-corporate ideology or online extremist rhetoric. Federal officials are now reviewing digital evidence and social media posts tied to the suspect.
The Biden-era leniency on domestic property crimes appears to be over. Under the Trump administration, the DOJ is restoring law and order—and anyone who crosses the line can expect to pay the price.