Exclusive: FBI Arrests Would-Be Border Militia Member

As elected officials hotly debate new border security legislation, the FBI has arrested a Tennessee man they say was planning to join a militia border group, set off explosives, and act as a sniper at the Mexico/U.S. border. Paul Faye of Cunningham, Tennessee was arrested yesterday for possession of an unregistered firearm, however the charging documents outline a nearly year-long investigation into the defendant involving multiple undercover agents.

Faye first came on law enforcement radar after the arrest of Brian Perry, another Tennessee man who was indicted last Spring in a plot to murder immigrants at the border. A review of Perry’s electronics revealed that Faye had communicated with him about traveling to the border to commit violence, according to court records. 

In March 2023, an FBI undercover employee reached out to Faye through TikTok, according to court filings. The following month, two undercover employees purportedly met with Faye to discuss ways they could work together. Faye allegedly told the undercover that, “the patriots are going to rise up because we are being invaded. We are being invaded.”

Faye also relayed to the FBI undercover that he was “coordinating with militia groups from Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.” Charging documents state that Faye also communicated with a leader in the NC Patriot Party with a plan to travel with them. According to authorities, Faye also “discussed plans for traveling to the border and how he planned to transport explosive devices to the border without law enforcement detection.”

He also told undercovers that his job in the border militia was to act as a sniper and that his “talents was sending rounds down range.” Faye allegedly stated that, “I’ll be the first one on the scene, and the last one to leave. The reason why I say that is, if something, just say that we were going down like that, before you even put yourself in danger, I would be on top that roof right there, zeroing out, taking out anybody. And then as y’all coming out, I’m going to be taking out..”

Faye also allegedly told the FBI undercovers that he possessed Tannerite to convert into claymore mines and “stationed butane tanks around his property so in the event law enforcement arrived, he could use the tanks as boobytrap explosive devices” 

On January 11 following a meeting at Faye’s trailer where they went to his “war room” which authorities say was filled with guns, radios, and tactical vests, one of the covert FBI officials bought an unregistered silencer from Faye. Federal charges were filed on Friday and unsealed yesterday when he was arrested. Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuting the case declined to comment. A court appointed Federal Defender representing Faye did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The story has been updated to reflect the U.S. Attorney’s office declining to comment and a note about how ridiculous Substack’s AI generated images are.