Buzz
During the evening of January 2, 2016, a group of armed militants seized control of a federal facility at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, demonstrating against federal land policies. This event is part of a series of recent occurrences involving anti-government factions. While some have posed serious threats, others have been outright absurd. However, all share the common trait of being undeniably extreme.
10. The Nevada Standoff at Bundy Ranch
As of January 2016, the Oregon standoff seems to have been orchestrated by Ammon Bundy and his two brothers. If the name rings a bell, it’s because they’ve pulled this stunt before. Back in April 2014, the Bundy brothers, along with their father Cliven, engaged in an even larger armed confrontation with the federal government. Astonishingly, they emerged victorious.
The Nevada standoff began when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) fined Cliven Bundy $1.1 million for unpaid cattle grazing fees. When Bundy refused to settle the debt, the BLM seized 380 of his cattle. In retaliation, Bundy armed himself, rallied his supporters, and initiated an armed standoff that persisted for over a week.
At its peak, the Nevada standoff drew 600 so-called “patriots” and militia members. Armed men with assault rifles positioned themselves as snipers on a freeway overpass, while women and children confronted armed BLM agents across a riverbed.
The militia’s strategy appeared so recklessly dangerous that many anticipated another Waco-like disaster. However, something entirely unforeseen occurred. After a week of surveillance, the BLM discreetly withdrew and disappeared overnight.
By mid-2015, vast areas surrounding the ranch were effectively beyond government jurisdiction. This marked a significant triumph for the militia movement, arriving at a crucial moment. Before the Bundy standoff, their radical plans had rarely succeeded.
9. The Republic of Texas Confrontation
The 1997 Republic of Texas standoff remains the gold standard for bizarre and ill-fated militia plans. Under the leadership of Rick McLaren, a group of five armed individuals, who identified as the Republic of Texas, abducted two neighbors and held them as “prisoners of war.” They then fortified themselves in McLaren’s trailer, engaging in a week-long standoff with over 300 state troopers.
McLaren was as eccentric as they come. Believing Texas had been unlawfully annexed, he declared himself the state’s leader and transformed his home into an “embassy.” At the time of the kidnapping, his followers numbered just six, including his fiancée/wife. Their marriage, conducted under Republic of Texas laws, raises questions about its legitimacy.
However, McLaren insisted on surrendering only in a formal military ceremony, fitting his self-proclaimed high status. Eager to avoid further conflict, the state troopers complied with his demand.
Despite its absurdity, the standoff was not entirely bloodless. When one of McLaren’s followers, Mike Matson, attempted to surrender, he aimed a gun at an officer and was fatally shot.
8. The Gray Family Confrontation
Near Dallas, a family militia is currently involved in what has become the longest standoff in US history. Their elderly leader, John Joe Gray, was released on bail after assaulting a state trooper in January 2000. Instead of facing sentencing, Gray and his family armed themselves and retreated to a 50-acre ranch in Trinidad, Texas. Over 16 years later, they remain entrenched there.
While technically a standoff, the situation is largely one-sided. Police initially monitored the Gray family after John Joe skipped bail, but eventually concluded that apprehending him wasn’t worth the risk.
The Gray family has repeatedly signaled their readiness for a violent confrontation. As the Henderson County sheriff remarked in 2011, “John Joe Gray isn’t worth it. Even ten of him wouldn’t justify risking the life of one of my deputies.”
Life on the compound is far from luxurious. The property lacks running water and electricity, and food is cultivated in fields tilled by donkeys. Their sole link to the outside world is a shortwave radio. The entire situation is so bleak that it’s hard not to think Gray would have been better off simply paying the fine.
7. The Waffle House Scheme
In 2011, federal agents uncovered one of the most bizarre militia plots in US history. Centered around a Georgia-based group known as the covert group, four men in their seventies conducted most of their planning at a Waffle House. Their plan, as outlined by the FBI, involved creating lethal ricin from castor beans with the intent to kill millions.
If their scheme sounds like it belongs in the world of low-budget fiction, that’s because it does. Much of their plan was directly inspired by a self-published novel written by a Fox News commentator who gained popularity within militia circles.
The novel depicts a group of citizens arming themselves over issues like gay marriage and gun control, assassinating government officials, and igniting a second American revolution. At least one member of the covert group suggested modeling their actions after the book.
The case took an even stranger turn when it was revealed that the government’s key witness was a convicted pedophile. Despite this, all four men were convicted on terrorism charges.
6. The Oath Keepers Schemes
The Oath Keepers are among the largest and most peculiar militia groups active today. While some of their actions involve opposing the government—they participated in the Bundy ranch standoff—others include activities like arming Black Lives Matter protesters. In essence, they defy the typical far-right stereotype.
This doesn’t mean they’re incapable of extreme behavior. Over the years, individual Oath Keepers have been involved in various plots that are both frightening and ridiculous.
One notable example is member Darren Huff, who was arrested for planning to seize a courthouse in Tennessee. Armed with a pistol and an assault rifle, Huff intended to detain two dozen officials and place them under citizen’s arrest. His goal was to free his friend Walter Francis Fitzpatrick, who had also attempted to arrest officials. What Huff planned to do with 24 “prisoners” remains a mystery.
Equally alarming and absurd, Oath Keeper Matthew Fairfield was arrested in 2010 for keeping a live napalm bomb in his attic—an act that is both terrifying and utterly foolish.
5. The Victor White Confrontation
Although he operated alone, Victor White was a supporter of the Republic of Texas militia movements. Given the earlier discussion about Rick McLaren, it’s unsurprising that White eventually spiraled out of control. In 2010, a sheriff and two oilmen approached White’s property near Odessa. Believing the oil company was contaminating his water, White opened fire, sparking a standoff that seemed straight out of a Warner Bros. cartoon.
Despite seriously injuring a deputy and harming another man, White treated the situation with bizarre nonchalance. When 150 law enforcement officers surrounded his home, he drank Wild Turkey and played his guitar. As snipers positioned themselves, he casually cleaned his house.
Between bursts of erratic behavior, he even fired shots at police helicopters circling above. For 22 hours, this one-man spectacle of madness kept the entire town on edge.
The standoff concluded when White intentionally set his house ablaze and fled shirtless into the custody of law enforcement. However, his antics didn’t end there. Shortly after his arrest, he filed a $175 million lawsuit against the city of Odessa, claiming “reckless endangerment of my due tranquility.”
4. The Ed and Elaine Brown Standoff
Many militias despise paying taxes, and Ed and Elaine Brown were no exception. After being convicted in absentia for tax evasion, the former “patriot” group members refused to surrender quietly. In February 2007, they fortified themselves in their self-sufficient New Hampshire home, sparking an eight-month standoff that became a right-wing rallying cry.
The Browns likened their situation to Ruby Ridge and fully expected to die in the confrontation. Their property was heavily armed, booby-trapped, and stocked with enough explosives to destroy a small town. Elaine Brown once told The Washington Post, “The only way to leave here is free or dead,” underscoring their readiness for martyrdom.
What prevented this from becoming another Waco was the Browns’ shockingly lax approach to security. During the eight-month standoff, they hosted dinner parties, picnics, fundraisers, and barbecues, often welcoming supporters onto their property. Ultimately, two marshals disguised as sympathizers were invited in, leading to the Browns’ arrest without a single shot being fired.
3. The Neo-Nazi Radiological Weapon Plot
James G. Cummings, a multimillionaire neo-Nazi from Maine, aspired to be remembered alongside figures like Timothy McVeigh and Osama bin Laden. A fervent Hitler admirer, abusive husband, and disturbed pedophile, Cummings harbored intense hatred for Obama and promoted armed rebellion against the US government.
While his anti-government sentiments were not unusual, what set Cummings apart was his attempt to act on them by planning to set off a dirty bomb in Washington, DC.
During an FBI raid on his home in January 2009, agents discovered materials for constructing a radioactive, toxic bomb. A WikiLeaks report revealed that Cummings aimed to detonate the device in the capital during Obama’s inauguration.
While it’s highly unlikely that the radioactive aspect of his dirty bomb would have worked, the explosive component likely would have. The sole reason Cummings isn’t infamous for an attack during Obama’s inauguration is due to his wife, Amber.
For someone plotting to violently overthrow the government, Cummings was remarkably inept at building alliances. He subjected Amber to years of torment and even hinted at abusing her daughter, Claira.
Ultimately, a few months before Cummings planned to strike Washington, Amber reached her breaking point. She used a revolver to kill her deranged husband while he slept. Because of her actions, Cummings is now remembered in lists of bizarre militia schemes rather than as one of America’s most notorious domestic terrorists.
2. The FEAR Scheme
Forever Enduring Always Ready (FEAR) was an anarchist militia group based at an army facility in Georgia. Their name alone reveals their mindset. Modeled after fictional supervillain organizations like Spectre, they devised a plan so outlandish it could have been lifted from a Roger Moore-era James Bond film.
Their schemes ranged from the ordinary to the bizarre. On the more practical side, they aimed to seize control of their army base in a shootout and bomb a Georgia park. On the more fantastical side, they plotted to destroy a dam and contaminate all apples in Washington state. Additionally, they planned to assassinate Obama and overthrow the government.
While the four FEAR members were clearly unhinged, they were also highly dangerous. At the time of their arrest, they had amassed an $85,000 arsenal and were responsible for two murders.
1. The “Patriot” Pipe Bomb Scheme
Even within the most extreme “patriot” militias, some individuals stand out for their sheer insanity. Take Michael Sibley, a militia member who was obsessed with the fear of Muslim terror attacks. His paranoia drove him to stage a fake Islamist bombing to highlight the perceived threat of Muslims.
In late 2014, Sibley placed a bag containing two pipe bombs in an Atlanta park. Alongside the explosives, he left a Quran, a map highlighting Jewish centers and transportation hubs, and a copy of The Rape of Kuwait. He also wrote the name “Mina Khodari” on the backpack, believing it sounded foreign. After setting the bomb, he vanished into the Atlanta morning.
The details of his intentions remain unclear. Sibley insisted he never intended to harm anyone, claiming the bomb was a warning to law enforcement about Muslim threats. Supporting his claim, the bombs lacked a power source to trigger an explosion.
However, the pipe bombs were fully functional, packed with nails, and capable of causing significant harm. Regardless of his motives, Sibley was eventually arrested, and his bizarre plan to combat Islamic extremism by mimicking an Islamist attack never materialized.
