June 4, 2020
Mr. Brian Murphy
Acting Under Secretary for Intelligence & Analysis
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Acting Under Secretary Murphy:
I write to you in the wake of the arrest yesterday of three men in Las Vegas who sought to exploit
the ongoing protests in order to carry out acts of violence and sow chaos in furtherance of their
extremist ideologies.1 According to Nevada and federal authorities, the men are affiliated with the
“Boogaloo” movement2—a far-right, accelerationist, anti-government extremist ideology that has
increasingly crossed over from online memes and jokes to threats of real-life violence.3 Media
reports indicate that armed men apparently affiliated with this ideology have been appearing at
protests across the country with increasing frequency.4
While I understand that recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence products
have rightly focused on threats from violent extremists, including white supremacists, and violent
opportunists during the protests, I request that the DHS Office of Intelligence & Analysis (I&A)
produce and disseminate an assessment specifically on this movement and any potential violent
threats that they may pose in order to ensure that state and local partners are informed and aware

1

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Nevada, Joint Terrorism Task Force Charges Three Men Who Allegedly Sought To Exploit
Protests In Las Vegas And Incite Violence, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, June 3, 2020, https://www.justice.gov/usaonv/pr/joint-terrorism-task-force-charges-three-men-who-allegedly-sought-exploit-protests-las.
2
Id.
3
See, e.g., Brandy Zadrozny, What is the 'boogaloo'? How online calls for a violent uprising are hitting the
mainstream, NBC NEWS, Feb. 19, 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/what-boogaloo-how-onlinecalls-violent-uprising-are-getting-organized-n1138461; Hannah Allam, 'Boogaloo' Is The New Far-Right Slang For
Civil War, NPR, Jan. 10, 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/01/10/795366630/boogaloo-is-the-new-far-right-slangfor-civil-war.
4
See, e.g., Robert Kuznia, Drew Griffin, Curt Devine, Gun-toting members of the Boogaloo movement are showing
up at protests, CNN, June 4, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/boogaloo-extremist-protestsinvs/index.html; Benjamin Goggin, Rachel Greenspan, Far-right civil war accelerationists called the Boogaloo Bois
are appearing at protests around the country with guns and Hawaiian shirts, INSIDER, June 3, 2020,
https://www.insider.com/boogaloo-bois-protest-far-right-minneapolis-extremist-guns-hawaiian-shirts-2020-5;
Colleen Long, Zeke Miller, Michael Balsamo, Officials see extremist groups, disinformation in protests,
ASSOCIATED PRESS, May 31, 2020, https://apnews.com/32bc90566697388645f01675359dcad1.

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 of this emerging issue. In addition, I urge you to produce and disseminate resources to the
American public on this topic in coordination with your DHS colleagues.
I also look forward to learning more about this issue at the briefing that I requested along with
Chairman Thompson and my Committee colleagues in a letter dated Monday, June 1, 2020.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,

Max Rose
Chairman
Subcommittee on Intelligence & Counterterrorism

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