Whitmer Kidnapping Plot
Attack Profile
On October 8, 2020, the FBI announced that they had foiled a domestic terrorist plot. Members of a militia organization had planned to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. Fourteen suspects were arrested, with federal charges laid on six suspects, and eight state charges. The militia members were affiliated with several groups, including the Wolverine Watchmen, and even the Three Percenters. As several FBI covert operatives were embedded within the group of plotters, law enforcement obtained significant insights into the planning of the operation. The information referenced in this article is mainly drawn from the federal court case against the militia members.
Kidnapping Plot
The plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer developed from June to October 2020. The militia members intended to kidnap the governor from her vacation cottage in Michigan and use explosives to harm any responding law enforcement officers. After grabbing Whitmer, the men planned to escape on a boat and hold her hostage. They would have likely taken pictures of her tied up and announced her ‘arrest’ online before releasing her. The men met dozens of times to discuss the plot, train with firearms and tactical gear, experiment with explosives, and even surveil Whitmer’s home. The plan was ultimately foiled on October 7, 2020, when the plotters were arrested en-route to conduct the attack
