The US Department of Justice has prosecuted arsonists to stop vandalism of Tesla cars, threatening to send them to prison if they vandalize Tesla cars

In the United States, protests known as the ' Tesla Takedown ' have been spreading, with repeated acts of vandalism against Tesla facilities and vehicles. President Donald Trump has criticized the vandalism of Tesla cars as ' domestic terrorism ,' and the Department of Justice has recently announced that it will prosecute the perpetrators.

Office of Public Affairs | Attorney General Pamela Bondi Announces Severe Charges Against Violent Tesla Arsonists | United States Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-announces-severe-charges-against-violent-tesla-arsonists

US attorney general re-announces 'severe' charges against alleged Tesla arsonists | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/633445/pam-bondi-announces-old-tesla-vandalism-arrests

Elon Musk, who used his personal wealth to help elect President Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election, is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration and has been firing government employees one after another .

In response to this, discontent has erupted in the United States, and there have been reports of acts of vandalism targeting Tesla cars as protests. President Trump, who supports Tesla, has criticized the vandalism of Tesla cars as 'domestic terrorism.'

President Trump calls Tesla protests 'domestic terrorism' - GIGAZINE

Nevertheless, acts of vandalism targeting Tesla continue, with reports of 'individuals dressed in black setting fire to multiple Tesla vehicles' at the Tesla Collision Center in Las Vegas. It has also been revealed that the FBI's counterterrorism unit has begun investigating the incident, and Attorney General Pam Bondi has also issued a statement saying, 'The series of violent attacks on Tesla facilities constitutes domestic terrorism. With that in mind, the Department of Justice has already prosecuted multiple perpetrators, including those with minimum prison sentences of five years. We continue to investigate to bring severe charges against those involved in the attacks, including those working behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.'

Despite President Trump's statement that 'the destruction of Tesla cars is domestic terrorism,' arson attacks on Tesla cars continue, and the FBI's anti-terrorism unit is also investigating - GIGAZINE

On March 20, 2025, Attorney General Bondi issued a statement regarding the Tesla vandalism. He announced that three people who committed acts of vandalism on Tesla property would be prosecuted. The three defendants are charged with using Molotov cocktails to set fire to Tesla vehicles and charging stations.

'The days of committing crimes with impunity are over. This is a warning: if you join the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla assets, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars,' Attorney General Bondi said.

The three indictments are: 'A person who threw eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon with a suppressor-equipped AR-15 rifle,' 'A person who was arrested in Loveland, Colorado for attempting to set fire to a Tesla vehicle with a Molotov cocktail,' and 'A person who wrote blasphemous messages against President Trump around a Tesla charging station in Charleston, South Carolina and set the charging station on fire with a Molotov cocktail.' Each defendant is charged with a crime punishable by a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.