Tesla dealerships targeted in arson and vandalism attacks across multiple cities

Federal and local authorities are investigating a series of arson attacks and vandalism at Tesla dealerships in Las Vegas, Kansas City, and San Diego that occurred on Monday and Tuesday.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) reported that at approximately 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday, multiple Tesla vehicles were set on fire at a collision and sales center near the 6200 block of Badura. Witnesses described a suspect dressed in black setting multiple cars ablaze, while the word “RESIST” was spray-painted on the dealership’s exterior.

Police said at least five Tesla vehicles were damaged, including two that were fully engulfed in flames. Investigators recovered an unexploded Molotov cocktail at the scene, along with evidence that three gunshot rounds had been fired into the vehicles.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the LVMPD in the investigation. Federal agents, including bomb technicians and forensic specialists, have been on-site since Monday morning.

“Make no mistake: this is a federal crime. Acts like these will not be tolerated,” the LVMPD said in a statement, adding that increased patrols have been deployed around Tesla locations.

In Kansas City, Missouri, authorities are investigating an overnight fire that damaged two Cybertrucks at a Tesla dealership on State Line Road.

According to the FBI’s Kansas City field office, the FBI and ATF are working with Kansas City police to investigate the incident. An officer reportedly spotted a Cybertruck on fire just before midnight, with the flames spreading to a second vehicle before firefighters could extinguish the blaze.

The FBI and ATF stated that similar incidents have occurred in multiple states and that federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies are working together to gather information.

In Encinitas, California, sheriff’s deputies discovered multiple Tesla vehicles covered in swastikas early Monday morning at a dealership on Encinitas Boulevard.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, officers on patrol noticed the vandalism just after 5 a.m. In addition to the swastikas, several dealership windows were spray-painted with profanity.

Authorities have not identified any suspects, and no arrests have been made. The investigation remains ongoing.

During an interview with Laura Ingraham on Tuesday, President Donald Trump was asked whether he considers the attacks “an act of domestic political terrorism against one of your allies.”

“I do,” Trump responded, while also calling Elon Musk a patriot. He also suggested that the perpetrators may have political motivations, stating, “If and when they catch the people… I think that you will find out that they are paid by people that are very highly political on the left.”

Attorney General Pamela Bondi released a statement Tuesday evening saying the attacks on Tesla property were “nothing short of domestic terrorism.”

“We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks,” Bondi said. “Including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”