FBI Director Kash Patel Initiates Criminal Probe into Minneapolis Activists Following Far-Right Signal Allegations
FBI Director Kash Patel has publicly announced the launch of a criminal investigation into group chats used by Minneapolis protesters on the encrypted Signal messaging application. This significant development follows social media posts made by the far-right personality Cam Higby, who claimed to have infiltrated these communications.
Far-Right Influencer's Claims Prompt Federal Action
Cam Higby posted on social media platform X on Sunday, asserting that he had successfully infiltrated a Signal group chat populated by anti-ICE organizers operating in Minneapolis. Higby's posts appeared to display communications between Minneapolis activists who were allegedly attempting to locate and share descriptions and license plate numbers of potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles.
Higby argued that these chats demonstrated coordinated efforts with the sole intention of tracking down federal agents to impede, assault, and obstruct their official duties. He subsequently promoted these disclosures on the podcast of another right-wing personality, Benny Johnson, who hosts The Benny Show.
Podcast Platform for Official Announcement
Benny Johnson used his platform to demand immediate federal investigation into the alleged activities, describing them as a coordinated infrastructure comparable to organized criminal networks. Kash Patel then joined Johnson's podcast, where he had made frequent appearances prior to becoming FBI director, to confirm that he would act upon these suggestions.
Patel stated clearly: "As soon as Higby put that post out, I opened an investigation on it. We immediately opened up that investigation, because that sort of Signal chat – being coordinated with individuals not just locally in Minnesota, but maybe even around the country – if that leads to a break in the federal statute or a violation of some law, then we are going to arrest people."
Legal Experts Question Investigation Basis
While Patel emphasized that he was not investigating peaceful protests or First Amendment protected activities, legal experts have raised significant questions about the investigation's foundation. Kevin Goldberg, vice-president at the Freedom Forum, reviewed Higby's posts and found no obviously illegal activity.
Goldberg commented: "I got the sense the [Signal chat] group has been organized for purposes that are fully protected by the first amendment: to observe, to speak and to alert others of possible dangers. I didn't see anything that impedes or obstructs justice. The claimed 'doxing' of law enforcement is not necessarily illegal."
Patrick Eddington of the libertarian Cato Institute expressed stronger criticism, stating: "The use of encryption is as American as apple pie. The founders used it before during and after the revolution. The notion that Kash Patel, who clearly failed to investigate the criminal conduct of Pete Hegseth now wants to go after people for utilizing first amendment protected activity and technology to warn their neighbors about violent out-of-control so-called federal agents policing their neighborhoods is beyond outrageous."
Contrasting Investigative Priorities Raise Questions
The FBI's rapid response to investigate activists based on a far-right provocateur's media posts occurs simultaneously with the bureau's insistence that it is not investigating the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. Pretti, a veterans affairs nurse, was shot multiple times by border patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.
According to Patel's statements to Fox News and a sworn court declaration by a Homeland Security Investigations official, that investigation is being conducted by HSI, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security. NBC News reported that investigators are currently reviewing body-camera footage from the agents involved, which may provide additional crucial evidence beyond the multiple cellphone recordings already circulating.
This development highlights ongoing tensions between law enforcement priorities, First Amendment protections, and the influence of social media personalities on official investigative processes.
