The FBI on Saturday said it had arrested Larry Hopkins, the leader of an armed group that have been stopping migrants who illegally cross the US-Mexico border in New Mexico.
Hopkins, 69, also known as Johnny Horton, was arrested in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on a federal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, the FBI said in a statement.
Hopkins represents himself as commander of the United Constitutional Patriots (UCP), a small volunteer group camped out near Sunland Park since late February.
The UCP describes itself as a “patriot group” helping overstretched US Border Patrol agents deal with a surge in undocumented migrants.
The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday accused it of being a “fascist militia organization” illegally detaining and kidnapping asylum seekers.
Jim Benvie, a spokesman for the UCP, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas described Hopkins as “a dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families.”
“Today’s arrest by the FBI indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not armed vigilantes,” Balderas said in a statement.
Horton was arrested in Oregon in 2006 on suspicion of impersonating a police officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm, the Southern Poverty Law Center said.
The Mexican government on Saturday said it had “deep concerns” about armed groups that intimidate migrants.
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