The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a task force to investigate vandalism against Tesla (TSLA) vehicles and property, saying they will treat the incidents as “domestic terrorism.”
“The FBI has launched a task force in conjunction with ATF [Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives] to coordinate investigative activity and crack down on violent Tesla attacks,” wrote the FBI on social media.
The 10-person task force will include ATF special agents and intelligence analysts, as well as members of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division.
The FBI task force was announced hours after police in Austin, Texas reported that multiple incendiary devices were found inside a Tesla showroom.
Austin Police said several devices meant to cause a fire were discovered inside the showroom.
The incident is the latest attack on a Tesla location within the U.S. as people turn to violence to protest CEO Elon Musk’s involvement with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
While the incendiary devices were found at a Tesla showroom in Austin, the Texas city is also home to the electric vehicle maker’s global headquarters.
News of the incident at the Tesla showroom broke as Musk attended a Trump cabinet meeting in Washington, D.C.
Since Trump’s January inauguration, people have sold their Tesla vehicles, organized boycotts of the company, and increasingly damaged their own Tesla models.
Trump has responded by threatening to bring federal criminal charges against anyone caught vandalizing a Tesla location.
News of the FBI task force and potential fire at a Tesla showroom came on a day when the company’s stock rose 12% for its best day on the stock market in several months.
However, Tesla’s share price is still down 27% this year amid a steep pullback. It is currently trading at $278.39 U.S.
