In a sobering reminder of the growing threat posed by domestic extremism, a federal jury has convicted two men who co-founded an armed militia group of attempting to murder US federal agents. Jonathan S O’Dell, 34, and Bryan C Perry, 39, had also allegedly planned to travel to Texas and attack migrants attempting to cross the US-Mexico border.
According to prosecutors, the men formed the “2nd Amendment Militia” in the summer of 2022 and began recruiting others to join their cause. O’Dell’s Missouri home served as a staging ground where the militia amassed firearms, ammunition, and paramilitary gear in preparation for their planned assault.
The men’s violent intentions were laid bare in social media posts, with Perry declaring in a TikTok video that the group was going to “go protect this country” and would be “out huntin'” those they deemed a threat. Chillingly, the militia viewed Border Patrol agents as “traitors” for allowing migrants to enter the US.
FBI Raid Thwarts Deadly Plot
The day before the men planned to embark on their mission to Texas, an FBI SWAT team descended on O’Dell’s property to execute a search warrant. As agents approached in an armored vehicle, Perry opened fire, squeezing off 11 shots from a rifle. O’Dell and his girlfriend surrendered, but Perry violently resisted arrest after exiting the house.
In addition to the attempted murder charges, the men faced a slew of other serious offenses, including using a firearm in a violent crime, illegal gun possession, and damaging federal property. Perry, a convicted felon, was barred from legally owning firearms due to a 2004 aggravated robbery conviction in Tennessee for which he served nearly four years in prison.
Militia Members’ Violent Histories
Court records paint a disturbing picture of the militia co-founders’ criminal pasts and propensity for violence. In September 2023, while being held in a county jail awaiting trial, Perry staged a brazen escape. He managed to evade capture for two days before being apprehended 160 miles away outside Kansas City following a high-speed chase.
The case underscores the persistent menace of far-right extremism and the willingness of fringe militia groups to target both migrants and the federal agents tasked with securing America’s borders. As one former DHS official stated on condition of anonymity:
“These convictions serve as a stark warning that the threat of domestic terrorism is very real. The men’s plans to murder federal agents and indiscriminately attack migrants shine a light on the dangerous ideologies fueling violence at the southern border.”
Homegrown Hate Festers in Militias
Experts warn that armed civilian border militias, while not a new phenomenon, have grown more emboldened in recent years amid divisive political rhetoric on immigration and the normalization of extremist views in some corners of society. Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow with the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, emphasized the gravity of the threat:
“Border militias represent a particularly combustible mix of nativism, xenophobia, and a heavily armed population. Groups driven by these toxic ideologies can quickly escalate from mere rhetoric to real-world violence, as this case demonstrates.”
The 2nd Amendment Militia’s plans, while ultimately foiled, offer a chilling glimpse into the potential for chaos and bloodshed when extremist beliefs intersect with America’s border security challenges. As the nation grapples with the complexities of immigration reform, it is clear that addressing the threat posed by domestic extremist groups must be an urgent priority.
The convictions of O’Dell and Perry send an unequivocal message that violence and vigilantism will not be tolerated, even as the underlying factors fueling the rise of border militias remain unresolved. As the country moves forward, finding ways to secure its borders while upholding the rule of law and rejecting extremism will be a defining challenge of our time.
