By The Epoch Times | Created at 2025-03-14 14:29:30 | Updated at 2025-03-14 18:34:59
4 hours ago
The director’s statement comes as some online influencers say they were targeted in recent days.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Friday that the federal law enforcement bureau is investigating “swatting” incidents that have targeted certain media figures in recent days.
Multiple right-wing content creators, including InfoWars host Chase Geiser, said this week that they have been the target of swatting incidents, which generally entail prank calls to emergency services that trigger a large number of armed police officers sent to a particular address.
“I want to address the alarming rise in ‘swatting’ incidents targeting media figures. The FBI is aware of this dangerous trend, and my team and I are already taking action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable,” Patel wrote on social media platform X on Friday morning.
While Patel did not go into details about the media figures involved, the FBI director said that “weaponizing law enforcement against ANY American is not only morally reprehensible but also endangers lives, including those of our officers.”
Patel also promised that more updates will be forthcoming.
In a post on X Wednesday, Geiser wrote that he “was just swatted again moments ago, just before 2AM” and several officers “used a PA system to call me by name and order me to walk out of my house.
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“I was handcuffed in the middle of the street, presumably at gunpoint though I couldn’t tell because of the light being shined on my face. I was then led into the house where my wife was woken up and we were informed that they received a call from someone pretending to be me and threatening to kill my family.”
Geiser also posted to X the video footage of officers apparently arriving at his home, adding that it was the second time officers had arrived at his home in 12 hours. The footage included an individual asking him: “Chase, can you step out with your hands up?”
Another conservative commentator, Nick Sortor, with more than 900,000 followers, wrote on X that his family members were subject to alleged swatting incidents.
“A dozen cops attempted to kick my dad’s door in at gunpoint,” he said Thursday, adding that “This is literal ... terrorism. And the FBI should treat it as such.”
He continued: “In my dad’s case, the caller told police my dad was killing my entire family, requiring them to intervene with deadly force. This is nothing short of attempted murder. They wanted the police to kill my father.”
Also Thursday, another conservative account, Gunther Eagleman, wrote on the platform that “my house was just swatted” and that someone “called in a fake hostage situation.” He added, “Fortunately, I have good relations with law enforcement, and extra patrols will be added. I don’t tolerate threats and will find the culprit.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), in response to another incident, wrote that the prank callers should be prosecuted and described those incidents as “pure domestic terrorism.”
In late 2023, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she was the victim of a swatting incident around Christmas time that year, confirmed by police officials. A local police department spokesperson said at the time that an individual in New York called the Georgia suicide hotline and shot his girlfriend at Greene’s home, which they quickly determined was a hoax.
Last year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wrote in a report that “swatting calls and hoax threats are a daily occurrence” and suggested that individuals who believe they are at risk should “initiate or strengthen your relationship with local law enforcement,” among taking other steps.
The Epoch Times could not immediately verify the authenticity of Geiser, Eagleman, or Sortor’s statements.
