Alert: FBI Seeking Informants in Florida

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Law enforcement exposed offering to pay informants in Florida

There were two reports this week of the FBI / police in Florida seeking informants to provide intelligence on the local animal rights movement.

In the first instance, a woman in West Palm Beach who is active in dog rescue was visited at home by an FBI agent. They told her anti-vivisection activists are “crossing the line,” becoming “dangerous” and will “hurt someone.”  The agent told her, “You have access that I don’t have.” She was told that she would be “rewarded” for any information she provided The agent also offered to take her to lunch. She told the agent she wasn’t interested. Before leaving, the agent warned her not to associate with animal rights activists.

Earlier in April,  an activist who does web design for a living was contacted by a “fitness trainer” looking for help creating a website. The activist met the woman at a cafe and they spoke for an hour about the project. The “trainer” supplemented her story with photos of her working out, etc.  During a second meeting, out of the blue, the woman mentioned that her boyfriend was friends with someone who works for the FBI, and that the FBI would “pay really well” for information about local animal rights activists. She claimed to be concerned that activists “could get violent.” The activist quickly ended the conversation.

It is important to raise awareness when the FBI starts making the rounds. The best defense is always silence, and stories like this should provide a prompt for activists to remind themselves why it is never ok to talk to the police. If you have not already, please read If An Agent Knocks.

If you have been visited by the FBI, please call the NLG’s Green Scare hotline: 888-NLG-ECOLAW.

– Peter Young

Fugitive Moves to Third on Most Wanted Terrorists List

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Andreas San Diego moves to number three on the FBI’s “Most Wanted Terrorists” list

With the (alleged) death of Bin Laden, the FBI has reordered its “Most Wanted Terrorists” list, moving animal liberation fugitive Andreas San Diego to number three.

San Diego was indicted in 2004 for the bombings of two targets related to the campaign against Huntington Life Sciences: Chiron (Emeryville, CA) and Shaklee (Pleasonton, CA). He was last seen in 2003, after he evaded an FBI surveillance tail in downtown San Francisco.

Andreas San Diego first became a suspect immediately after the Shaklee bombing, when he was pulled over for a minor traffic violation less than a mile from the site of the explosion. He has been a fugitive for nearly eight years.

Adding San Diego to the “most wanted terrorists” list is among the more bold moves by the federal government as it works to sell the public on animal rights activists and the A.L.F. as “terrorists”. This despite a 30+ year history of activity in which no humans have been harmed. The bombings Andreas are accused of took place at unoccupied office buildings, and no one was injured.

With the specter of Bin Laden gone, it will be worth watching whether the FBI gives the A.L.F. / E.L.F. even greater boogeyman-status.

The FBI’s wanted poster has this to say about Andreas San Diego:

“Daniel Andreas San Diego is wanted for his alleged involvement in the bombing of two office buildings in the San Francisco, California, area. On August 28, 2003, two bombs exploded approximately one hour apart at the Chiron Corporation in Emeryville. Then, on September 26, 2003, one bomb strapped with nails exploded at the Shaklee Corporation in Pleasanton. San Diego was indicted in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, in July of 2004.”

Followed, of course, by “SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS” (my wanted poster contained the same notation, despite my never having possessed, held, or even seen, a gun).

It is impossible to know where Andres San Diego is hiding, but please ask yourself what you would do if he showed up at your door tonight, asking for help. San Diego faces a potential life sentence if arrested, and is out there somewhere right now literally running for his life.

– Peter Young

Northeast Animal Liberation Festival with Bold Native + more

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If you’re in the NE, come check out the Northeast Animal Liberation Festival on May 7th in Troy, New York. The event features the hard-working Jenny Brown and Camille Hankins, a vegan potluck, and screening of Bold Native.

View the event website here.

Here are the details:

6 PM Vegan potluck BBQ

7 PM Panel discussion with animal liberation activists Peter Young, Jenny Brown of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, and Camille Hankins of Win Animal Rights and No Kill New York.

8 PM Bold Native screening

9:30 Q&A.

See you there.

A.L.F. Prisoner Walter Bond Arrives in a Utah Jail

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Walter Bond arrives in Utah to face more charges for A.L.F. arsons

After receiving a five-year sentence for burning down the Sheepskin Factory store in Denver, Walter Bond arrived in Utah last week to face more charges for arsons claimed by the Animal Liberation Front.

Bond spent weeks in transit. As reported on Green is the New Red, much of this this time Bond spent in solitary, classified as part of a “security threat group”. Bond spent time at jails in Oklahoma and Nevada, before arriving last week in Farmington, Utah. He is being held at the same jail where A.L.F. prisoners Alex Hall and William Viehl spent most of their imprisonment.

The charges

The second set of arson charges stem from two Animal Liberation Front arsons in the Salt Lake City area – Tiburon (foie gras restaurant), and the Tandy Leather Factory. Both businesses were set on fire in overnight actions, and later claimed by the “A.L.F. Lone Wolf”.

Bond has been charged with arson and Animal Enterprise Terrorism charges for both A.L.F. actions. He has pleaded not guilty.

Good News

The good news: Bond has been appointed a judge, and it is NOT the Utah federal judge who sentenced ALF prisoners William Viehl and Alex Hall to exorbitant sentences that were over four times the sentence called for by federal sentencing guidelines. That judge (Dee Benson) displayed a clear disdain for animal liberation activity, as evidenced by his extreme sentences, comments made in the courtroom, and rumors of his ties to the fur industry.

Walter Bond’s trial is scheduled for June.

– Peter Young

Write Walter Bond a letter of support:

Davis County Jail
Walter Bond 2011-03339
PO Box 130
Farmington UT 84025-0130

Visit the Support Walter site

New Issue of Bite Back Magazine Out Now

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Latest issue of the only direct-action focused animal liberation publication

18 months since the last issue, the new issue of Bite Back is now out. The new issue features:

*Excerpt from Will Potter’s new book (Green Is the New Red)

*A “How it was done” story of the destruction of a leather fair in Mexico,

*Official police reports & photographs from an investigation into U.S. fur farm raids

*2010 worldwide diary of actions

*Animal liberation prisoner updates, and more!

36 pages.

Order here.

Farmer’s Letter Describes the Aftermath of an A.L.F. Raid

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Read a private letter from a Utah fur farmer: “…imagine an ocean of black mink, EVERYWHERE.“

Animal Liberation Front-line has obtained a letter written by a fur farmer, describing the “clean up” after a large A.L.F. mink release in Utah. The letter begins: “It’s been almost 4 weeks since the mink release in Utah at Chuck Lodder’s Ranch… I still wake up still in the middle of the night and worry.”

The letter, which appears to be written to other mink farmers, covers Mary Wardell’s experiences trying to catch thousands of  mink liberated by the Animal Liberation Front. The full text of the letter is posted below, and it is the first time it has been seen publicly.

View a PDF of the full letter here.

The raid

In September, 2008, the Animal Liberation Front carried out their largest raid of a fur farm in 5 years, releasing 7,000 mink from the Chuck Lodder fur farm in Kaysville, Utah. Fur farmers (and members of a nearby church) mobilized in the wake of the raid, converging on the farm to round up the thousands of animals released from their cages.

Candid perspectives on A.L.F. actions from animal abusers are extremely rare. Because it appears this letter was private and not intended to be viewed by the public, it is the kind of  uncolored account the animal rights movement rarely gets to see.

“The destruction to the ranch was well planned”

Select quotes from the letter:

(more…)

Taking Pre-Orders for the Re-Release of Flaming Arrows

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Collection of writings by Rod Coronado is back in print with 17 pages of new material

I’m really happy to announce Animal Liberation Front-line is releasing a new, expanded edition of Flaming Arrows by Rod Coronado. The book is at the printer and we’re expecting a proof copy this week, with the full order soon to follow.

Flaming Arrows compiles selected writings by the former Animal Liberation Front prisoner.  The book, first released in 2007, has been out of print for some time. I’m happy to make these writings available to a wide audience once again.

A full announcement will be made shortly. In the meantime, pre-orders are being taken now. As a bonus, all pre-orders will receive a free copy of Animal Liberation Front: The Communiques Collection.

Pre-orders accepted here

The new edition contains 17 pages of material not included in the previous printing, including a 1996 prison letter from Rod.

Make a pre-order (and get a free copy of Animal Liberation Front: The Comminiques Collection) at this link:

Pre-order Flaming Arrows

FBI Blames A.L.F. in Anarchist Free Store Arson

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FBI blames Animal Liberation Front in anarchist “free store” arson

The A.L.F. has been blamed for some absurd things, but this is a first: NYC police and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force have named the Animal Liberation Front as suspects in an arson against an unlikely target: the Brooklyn Free Store, a community run thrift store.

The fire destroyed the building. The Brooklyn Free Store was a community resource, where people could pick up items for free. What role a small thrift store could have in animal abuse was not explained, and the FBI didn’t say why they believed the A.L.F. could be responsible.

I have written in past articles on the A.L.F. being scapegoated in actions that were clearly not the work of animal liberationists. In one example, a kangaroo was found loose near a roadside zoo. The owner told police the kangaroo liberation wasn’t the product of inadequate fencing, but the work of the Animal Liberation Front.

In another case. Santa Cruz police hinted the A.L.F. was behind vandalism to a vehicle owned by a UC-Santa Cruz researcher. Problem was, the researcher didn’t do animal research.

A Free Store volunteer stated she was “pretty positive that ALF had nothing to do with the fire.”

– Peter Young

More A.L.F. Fur Farm Raid Photos (cont’d from yesterday)

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These photos were omitted from yesterday’s post, and are among the best. They show mink running free the morning after the A.L.F. released 7,000 animals from a mink farm in Kaysville, Utah, in 2008.

See yesterday’s post for the full story.

(click on photo to enlarge)

More Morning-After Photos of an A.L.F. Mink Liberation

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More FBI photos from the aftermath of an A.L.F. fur farm raid

Last week, Animal Liberation Front-line posted anonymously-submitted FBI photos showing a fur farm the morning after an Animal Liberation Front raid. I am posting more photos from the same FBI file, this time of another Utah A.L.F. raid – the 2008 release of 7,000 mink from the Chuck Lodder fur farm in Kaysville, Utah.

These photos were received anonymously. You can see more photos and FBI documents in the upcoming issue of Bite Back (subscribe here).

The photos were taken by the FBI, and used as evidence in the William Viehl / Alex Hall A.L.F. case. They show cut fences, damaged equipment, and freed mink still on the property the morning after the raid. The FBI took these photos to document the “crime scene” after anonymous A.L.F. raiders opened cages and liberated 7,000 mink. No one has ever been charged with the action.

In an upcoming article, I will post a special related document:  an account of the morning after this liberation in a local fur farmer’s own words.

(click on photo to enlarge)

Released FBI Photos Show the Aftermath of an ALF Raid

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Never-before-seen FBI images of the morning after a Utah Animal Liberation Front mink release

Animal Liberation Front-line has received an anonymous set of files containing hundreds of documents from the William Viehl / Alex Hall Animal Liberation Front case. The files contained hundreds of pages of interview transcripts, affidavits, and more, giving a rare glimpse inside an FBI Animal Liberation Front investigation.

Viehl and Hall were convicted last year for liberating 650 mink from the McMullin fur farm in South Jordan, Utah.

The files received contained dozens of photos taken in the aftermath of two A.L.F. mink releases.  These photos, never seen before, show liberated mink, torn-open cages, A.L.F. graffiti, sabotaged vehicles, and more.

The photos obtained show the aftermath of two A.L.F. raids:

Lindsey McMullin fur farm – South Jordan, Utah (650 mink released)

Chuck Lodder fur farm – Kaysville, Utah (7,000 mink released)

This post showcases photos from the Lindsey McMullin farm. In an article later this week, I will be posting photos from the raided Kaysville farm.

The best of the photos have not been included here, and can only be seen in the upcoming issue of Bite Back magazine. To get a copy of this issue, subscribe here.

These photos offer an extremely rare look inside a fur farm after a visit by the Animal Liberation Front.

– Peter Young

(click on photo to enlarge)

Wave of Sabotage Reported at Iowa Factory Farms

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Trade group offers $7,500 reward for information in sabotage at multiple farms

Police have reported a rash of sabotage actions against pig and turkey farms across northeastern Iowa. Damage is described as “considerable”. Neither the Animal Liberation Front nor other clandestine animal liberation group has yet claimed responsibility.

The actions are described as occurring at “multiple” farms in three counties. Three pig factory farms were vandalized in Chickasaw and Fayette Counties. One turkey factory farm in Bremer County was also targeted. One of the sabotaged farms was 5 miles northwest of New Hampton, site of the largest Animal Liberation Front mink liberation in U.S. history.

The sabotage included damaged office equipment and broken windows. Police have not ruled out the actions could be merely apolitical vandalism. However if there was no danger of animal’s being harmed in the action, factory farms would be a likely A.L.F. target and these attacks would fit the model of an Animal Liberation Front action.

Police are advising farms to be vigilant in monitoring their farms, and call police if they notice suspicious vehicles.

– Peter Young

DeMuth Receives Six Months in A.L.F. Raid that Shut Down Farm

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Scott DeMuth taken into custody at sentencing for raid on a ferret farm

Today, Scott DeMuth received 6 months in prison for the Animal Liberation Front-claimed release of 400 ferrets from a former Minnesota mink farm.  It was expected DeMuth would be allowed to self-surrender at a later date, but in an unexpected move, the judge ordered him to be taken into custody immediately.

Raid shut down the farm

New information was revealed at the sentencing, with Prosecutor Clifford Cronk admitting the raid had shut the ferret farm down

Details of the A.L.F. action

The Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the 2006 raid. (more…)

Walter Bond Receives Minimum Sentence in A.L.F. Arson

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Judge sentences Walter Bond to 5 years for Sheepskin Factory arson

After a defiant speech in which Walter Bond told the court that carrying out Animal Liberation Front actions “was the proudest and most powerful thing I have ever done”, a judge sentenced Bond to the minimum of 5 years in prison.

Walter Bond was arrested last summer and charged with Animal Liberation Front arsons which targeted three animal exploitation businesses: Sheepskin Factory (Denver), Tandy Leather Factory (Salt Lake City), and Tiburon (near Salt Lake City).

The  5-year sentence was for the Sheepskin Factory arson alone, and Bond awaits trial for the remaining two arsons. If found guilty, Bond could receive a concurrent sentence, or a sentence which could run consecutive. A consecutive sentence would add, at minimum, an additional 5 years to Bond’s sentence.  Bond is expected to be extradited to Utah for the remaining charges very soon.

Walter Bond delivered a scathing speech before his sentence, in which he said “I am not sorry for anything I have done”, and “the Animal Liberation Front is the answer” (to animal exploitation). The full transcript of Walter Bond’s speech is as follows: (more…)