Brandon Russell, 27, and Sarah Kleindaniel, 34, were arrested and charged with “conspiracy to attack energy infrastructure,” a charge that carries a 20-year prison sentence.
The co-founder of an American neo-Nazi organization and an associate have been arrested in the US, where they are accused of were planning an attack on power plants in Baltimore.
Brandon Russell, 27, was arrested by the federal police (FBI) in Florida and Sarah Klindaniel, 34, in Maryland. They are being prosecuted for “conspiracy to attack energy infrastructure,” a charge that carries a 20-year prison sentence.
Russell is a well-known figure on the American far-right: in 2015 he announced the founding of the “Atomwaffen Division,” a neo-Nazi group that preaches violent action to cause “the collapse of society,” according to the website of the civil rights group Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors “hate groups” in the US. In 2017 his roommate committed a double homicide. While searching their home, police found explosives belonging to Brandon Russell, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
While incarcerated, he began chatting online with Sarah Clintoniel, who was also incarcerated for a machete attack in a mini-mart. The two stayed in touch and discussed, among other things, the possibility of “having children together” or starting a “guerrilla war,” according to the indictment.
Based on this document, Russell began in June 2022 planning a series of attacks on power facilities to cause “sequential damage” and posted many of his plans and photos of transformers. Klindaniel volunteered to carry out the attacks and “totally destroy” Baltimore, the majority of whose residents are African-American.
Clintoniel has a terminal illness and said she “wanted to do something great” before she died.
The police were tipped off by an informant and arrested them before they could carry out their plan.
US authorities warned about a year ago that far-right groups were planning targeted attacks against energy infrastructure. In recent months, transformers have been damaged in Ohio, North Carolina and the Seattle suburbs.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
