AUSTIN, Texas — Austin police say they’re investigating several incendiary devices found at a Tesla dealership Monday on the city’s north side, the latest in a series of events targeting the company owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
Austin police responding to a report of hazardous materials found the devices and called in the city’s bomb squad, which took them into police custody without incident, the department said in an email to The Associated Press. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
“This is an open and ongoing investigation, and there is no further information available for release at this time,” the department said.
Attacks on property carrying the logo of Elon Musk’s electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas, along with protests nationwide in response to the billionaire’s work with the Trump administration cutting federal funding and the workforce.
On Saturday, a man drove his car into protesters outside a Tesla dealership in Palm Beach County, Florida. No one was injured, and the man was arrested on an assault complaint. In California, police said a counter-protestor was arrested Saturday after activating a stun gun during an anti-Musk demonstration outside a Tesla dealership near downtown Berkeley. Nobody was hurt. The 33-year-old man was awaiting charges Monday.
Several more cases of violence targeting Tesla include Cybertrucks being set on fire in Seattle and shots fired at a dealership in Oregon. Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars also have been targeted.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday that the bureau is taking steps to crack down on an “increase in violent activity toward Tesla.” The agency has created a task force to coordinate investigative efforts into the attacks with officials at the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, an FBI spokesperson said in a social media post.
“This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice,” Patel said in a post on X.