The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is actively looking into a nationwide trend of vandalism in protest of DOGE head Elon Musk. The destructive demonstrations target Tesla vehicles and dealerships with everything from cosmetic defacings to lobbing Molotov cocktails at rows of the brand’s vehicles. Now, the FBI issued a public warning to owners and dealers to keep an eye out after Austin police found “incendiary devices” at a Tesla dealership in the Texas capital. 

The FBI issued a public alert warning Tesla owners to maintain ‘vigilance’ as vehicle and dealer attacks rage on

Earlier this month, a Las Vegas arsonist set fire to multiple Tesla EVs using Molotov cocktails. The flammable liquid-fed fire consumed several vehicles and prompted the Trump administration to label such events as “domestic terrorism.” More recently, the Austin Police Department Bomb Squad removed “indendiary devices” from an Austin-area Tesla dealership.

“When officers arrived on scene, they located suspicious devices, and called the APD Bomb Squad to investigate,” APD said. “The devices, which were determined to be incendiary, were taken into police custody without incident,” per NBC DFW. 

As a result, the FBI issued a stern warning to the public, urging Tesla owners to “exercise vigilance and look out for suspicious activity.” The March 21 public alert also implores owners and bystanders to report any violent protest activity without hesitation.

So, what can Tesla owners do to protect their vehicles? For starters, we can’t recommend confronting a vandal. Doing so can be dangerous for everyone involved. Call the police in the event of vandalism.

However, EV owners can also use “Sentry Mode.” The setting uses all the EV’s cameras and sensor arrays to monitor and record suspicious activity, like theft or vandalism. Beyond using Sentry Mode, owners should heed the FBI’s instructions and keep an eye out for suspicious behavior.