Albuquerque Tesla GOP arson reported. A New Mexico man faces federal charges after allegedly launching politically and ideologically charged arson attacks against both a Tesla showroom and the Republican Party of New Mexico’s headquarters. Jamison Wagner, 40, of Albuquerque, has been charged with two counts of malicious damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives, each carrying a sentence of five to 20 years in prison.
Federal authorities responded to the first incident around 3:13 a.m. on February 9, at a Tesla showroom located on Jemez Canyon Dam Road. Surveillance footage revealed a masked suspect—later identified as Wagner—approaching Tesla vehicles with a white box containing spray paint. Moments later, the suspect was seen igniting one of the vehicles, which quickly erupted in flames. Authorities later discovered improvised napalm inside one car and graffiti on the walls and cars reading “Die Elon,” “Tesla Nazi,” and “Tesla Nazi Inc.”
The second attack took place just weeks later, at 5:55 a.m. on March 30, at the Republican Party of New Mexico’s Albuquerque headquarters. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, but not before the front entrance sustained damage. Investigators found red graffiti reading “ICE=KKK” on the building and identified incendiary devices similar to those used in the Tesla attack. Surveillance footage and forensic evidence linked both scenes through similar materials, graffiti styles, and a white sedan seen near both incidents.
A federal search warrant executed at Wagner’s home on April 11 turned up significant evidence: eight additional assembled incendiary devices, spray paint, blue Styrofoam used in the Tesla fire, ignitable liquids, and a stencil with the phrase “ICE=KKK.” Authorities also found a car matching the one seen at both arson scenes with its license plate lights intentionally obscured.
Wagner was identified based on evidence collected at both scenes. The DOJ is pursuing the case as a serious federal crime due to the use of explosives and targeted nature of the attacks.
