NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Department of Justice said Monday that federal agents have arrested a Tennessee man with ties to white nationalist groups who they say attempted to use what he believed to be an explosive-laden drone to destroy a Nashville energy facility.
According to court documents, Skyler Philippi, 24, is accused of planning to attach several pounds of C-4 explosives to an aerial drone with the intent of destroying an electric substation in Nashville.
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The newly unsealed court records reveal that Philippi in July allegedly told a confidential source who was working with the FBI that he wanted to attack several substations to “shock the system.” That confidential source later introduced Philippi to an undercover FBI employee, who began to collect information about Philippi's plan with other undercover agents.
“Philippi researched previous attacks on electric substations and concluded that attacking with firearms would not be sufficient,” wrote Angelo DeFeo, an FBI special agent, in the court records released Monday. “Philippi, therefore, planned to use a drone with explosives attached to it and to fly the drone into the substation.”
Philippi allegedly told undercover law enforcement officials that he was affiliated with several white nationalist and extremist groups, including the National Alliance, which calls for eradicating the Jewish people and other races. Such extremist groups increasingly have viewed attacking the United States' power grid as a means of disrupting the country.
The U.S. grid includes more than 6,400 power plants and 450,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines that span the country.
In September, Philippi provided the undercover officials with excerpts of his so-called manifesto, which focused heavily on preserving the white race.
On Saturday, Philippi and undercover employees drove to his intended Nashville launch site and prepared to fly a drone that authorities say Philippi believed had 3 pounds of C-4 attached to it. The material had been provided by the undercover employees, according to court documents.
Law enforcement agents arrested Philippi shortly after arriving at the site.
“As charged, Skyler Philippi believed he was moments away from launching an attack on a Nashville energy facility to further his violent white supremacist ideology – but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.
A federal public defender was appointed to represent Philippi and a request for comment was sent to the attorney on Monday. Philippi is expected to appear in court on Nov. 13.