Veterans on Patrol
| Formation | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Michael “Lewis Arthur” Meyer |
| Type | Militia |
| Purpose | Far-right vigilantism and activism |
| Headquarters | Pima County, Arizona |
Veterans on Patrol is a group which is part of the American militia movement, founded by Michael “Lewis Arthur” Meyer.[1][2][3]
History and aims
Veterans on Patrol was founded in Pima County, Arizona[1] in 2015 with the initial aim of supporting military veterans.[2] Since 2018, the activities of the organization shifted away from the initially stated goals and towards purported anti-human trafficking activities on the Mexico–United States border.[2]
The philosophy shared by the group includes antisemitic, anti-Mormon, anti-Catholic and anti-indigenous views.[1] Members also embrace the disproven QAnon conspiracy theory.[2] In 2018, the group labelled a homeless encampment as a child sex-trafficking location.[4][1][2]
The group is known for embedding in communities to “launch missions related to migrants or purported child trafficking”. They claimed that Hurricane Helene was “an act of war perpetuated(sic) by the United States Military”; a “land grab” responsible for “murdering hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans”.[5]
This organization has a Facebook page with approximately 70,000 followers.[3]
In 2025, the group threatened to attack weather radars run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration claiming that the radar sites were secretly being used for weather modification.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Veterans on Patrol". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ a b c d e Schmitz, Avery (2023-02-21). "Borderless Vigilantism: The Nativist US Militias Entering Mexico". Bellingcat. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ a b REIDY, E. Not in My Backyard. Mother Jones, [s. l.], v. 44, n. 3, p. 50–65, 2019. Disponível em: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=135706693&site=eds-live&scope=site . Acesso em: 22 fev. 2023.
- ^ Zadrozny, Brandy; Collins, Ben (7 June 2018). "Arizona veterans group finds homeless camp — and fuels a new 'pizzagate'-style conspiracy". NBC News. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ Brianna Sacks, Scott Dance, Will Oremus, Samuel Oakford and Jeremy B. Merrill. "How a conspiracy-fueled group got a foothold in this hurricane-battered town". Retrieved 24 October 2024.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Dellinger, AJ. "NOAA Warns of Attacks on Radar Systems by Militia That Thinks They Are 'Weather Weapons'". gizmodo.com. Gizmodo. Retrieved 11 May 2025.