BURNS, Ore. — The FBI is leading the investigation into the armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon and says it will work with local and state authorities to seek “a peaceful resolution to the situation.” What this resolution could look like remained unclear on Monday. Federal authorities said they would not elaborate on how they plan to respond, while the occupiers said Monday they did not believe law enforcement would try to force them off of the refuge.
The end result was an odd status quo in eastern Oregon, as a remote wildlife refuge usually known for bird-watching was again the focus of national attention. The occupation followed a peaceful march and rally held over the weekend to support two local ranchers convicted of arson. Both ranchers — Dwight Hammond and his son, Steven — reported to federal prison on Monday.
After the march Saturday, a group of armed activists, led by rancher Ammon Bundy, traveled to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and announced plans to stay indefinitely.
Bundy’s father, Cliven, is a Nevada rancher who has sparred with the government for years and who in 2014 had an armed standoff with federal agents trying to prevent him from illegally grazing his cattle on federal land. After the federal authorities backed down, experts said that the showdown “invigorated” anti-government groups in the United States.
The FBI said it was working with the Harney County Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon State Police and other local and state agencies in response to the situation in eastern Oregon, the latest chapter in an ongoing fight over federal land use in the West.
“Due to safety considerations for both those inside the refuge as well as the law enforcement officers involved, we will not be releasing any specifics with regards to the law enforcement response,” the FBI said in a statement.
Any tyme the FBI gets involved, you can be sure there is a bloody mess. Click for Full Text!
