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Militia Tourism: trouble at the border, a new round of infighting, and a fake identity
After a 24-hour Twitter poll, I’m releasing a short series on the topic of militia tourism. The first of these stories will be on some border operations in New Mexico and Arizona and the dramatic politics behind a lot of what’s been happening with some new militia players in the area.
The Border Context
The history of militia border patrols, especially for those traveling from elsewhere, isn’t new. For example, one of the most prominent militias, the Mountain Minutemen (or just the Minutemen), has been doing this stuff for a decade. Robert Crooks is their leader and has some sketchy ties to the US neo-Nazi movement through his pal Harry Hughes. These militias have been written about often and well, so there’s not a lot more that I can add on this subject. Instead, I’m going to offer a glimpse into some of the resulting effects 4–6 months after the ‘caravan’ scare of 2018.
