Feds Say Tennessee ‘Sniper’ Planned to Kill Migrants at the Border
A Tennessee man who allegedly said he wanted to kill migrants at the border was arrested by the FBI on Monday, according to a federal criminal complaint.
The man schemed to bring explosives and sniper rifles down south to defend against a purported migrant “invasion,” telling undercover federal agents that “patriots are going to rise up” and he was going to “stir up the hornet’s nest,” federal prosecutors wrote.
Paul Faye, 55, was charged with a single count of possession of an unregistered firearm after attempting to sell an agent an illegal suppressor, according to the complaint, first reported on Tuesday by Seamus Hughes of Court Watch.
Faye first came up on the FBI’s radar more than a year ago, after the indictment of Brian Perry, a Tennessee militia member. The two men had “extensive contact” before Perry’s arrest, with Faye expressing his desire to “commit acts of violence” at the southern border. Faye allegedly worked on his plan for more than 18 months and, last December, told undercover agents that he hoped to coordinate with militia groups from Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee to bring “explosive devices” down to the border.
“Faye reported that one of his roles within the group traveling to the border was to serve as a sniper and that his talent was ‘sending rounds down range,’” the complaint said.
Faye also said he hoped to kick the “hornet’s nest” with his assault and incite the “right kind of news” coverage, according to the complaint.
The FBI’s undercover employees first made contact with Faye over TikTok early last year. In April, he met up with three agents for the first time and—after “confirming” they were not law enforcement—launched into discussing his belief “that the government was training to take on its citizens, and more specifically, that the federal government was allowing illegal immigrants to enter the United States to help the government,” according to the complaint.
“The patriots are going to rise up because we are being invaded,” Faye said during a recorded phone call in May. “We are being invaded.”
On Jan. 11, Faye allegedly sold the unregistered suppressor to an undercover agent for $100. That same day, two agents met with Faye at his home, where he showed off his so-called “war room,” which was filled with ammo, a bulletproof vest, radios, and firearms including multiple AR-15s and a Creedmoor rifle.
Faye is set to make his first appearance in federal court on Monday. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years behind bars if convicted.
His son, Joseph Faye, told NBC News on Wednesday that his father was full of hot air.
“They think my dad is a terrorist,” Joseph said. “He’s not a terrorist. He talks a big game, but it’s all lies.”
Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.
Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
