A Tennessee man, with alleged white supremacist views, is accused of attempting to use a drone loaded with explosives to attack the Nashville power grid.
A Columbia, Tennessee man allegedly attempted to fly a drone packed with explosives into an energy facility before the FBI stopped him from destroying the critical infrastructure, according to the Department of Justice . In a press release, the DOJ said 24-year-old Skyler Philippi was arrested and charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted destruction of an energy facility.
Nearly a month later, he allegedly told another CHS that an attack on large interstate substations would 'shock the system,' and cause other substations to malfunction. According to the DOJ, Philippi researched previous attacks on electric substations, ultimately concluding that just using firearms was not enough. Instead, he planned to use a drone with explosives attached to it, and then fly the drone into a substation.
While on the way, Philippi allegedly ordered C-4 and other explosives from the undercover employees, then later purchased black powder to put into pipe bombs. The DOJ said Philippi intended to use the pipe bombs during the attack on the substation. He also allegedly texted the confidential source, 'if you want to do the most damage as an accelerationist, attack high economic, high tax, political zones in every major metropolis.
Driven by a racially motivated violent extremist ideology, the Defendant planned to attack the power grid with a drone and explosives, leaving thousands of Americans and critical infrastructure like hospitals without power,' FBI Director Christopher Wray said. 'The FBI’s swift work led to the detection and disruption of the defendant’s plot before he could cause any damage.
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