Federal law enforcement officials have reportedly started to whisk suspected rioters off the streets of Portland in unmarked cars as the Trump administration begins to make good on its promise to “quell” the violence in the city.
“Federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14,” Oregon Public Broadcasting reported Thursday. “Personal accounts and multiple videos posted online show the officers driving up to people, detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested, and driving off.”
Take these terrorists off the streets and disappear them for months. Oh if only. pic.twitter.com/NYW7qKCXSw
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) July 15, 2020
“The tactic appears to be another escalation in federal force deployed on Portland city streets, as federal officials and President Donald Trump have said they plan to ‘quell’ nightly protests outside the federal courthouse and Multnomah County Justice Center that have lasted for more than six weeks,” OPB added. “Federal officers have charged at least 13 people with crimes related to the protests so far, while others have been arrested and released.” – READ MORE
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently deployed an elite unit of law enforcement operators to Portland this week under President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence.
The New York Times confirmed an earlier report that identified the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, or BORTAC, as the unit that was deployed to Portland as the city has been rocked by approximately 48 consecutive days of riots. Reuters reported that in addition to BORTAC, “Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are helping DHS’s Federal Protective Service, which provides security for federal buildings.”
Our men and women in uniform are patriots. We will never surrender to violent extremists on my watch. pic.twitter.com/kG8w8kyw9E
— Acting Secretary Chad Wolf (@DHS_Wolf) July 17, 2020
Reuters added, “A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokeswoman said on Friday agents had been deployed to Portland to support a newly launched U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unit, tasked with enforcing last month’s executive order from Republican President Donald Trump to protect federal monuments and buildings.”
The CBP spokeswoman also addressed a video that went viral online that showed the federal agents taking a suspect away in an unmarked vehicle. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --