Suspect charged in Oakland federal officer shooting believed to be tied to ‘Boogaloo’ movement
(KION) Authorities said Steven Carrillo, the man charged with murdering a federal court officer in Oakland and a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s office deputy, may be linked to extremist movement, known as the “Boogaloo” movement.
The Boogaloo movement is known as a right wing-extremist group
comprised of different ideologies, but is primarily anti-government. The U.S. Attorney for Northern District of California said the boogaloo term references a violent uprising or impending civil war.
A criminal complaint cites evidence found in Ben Lomond to this development. Investigators found a ballistic vest in the van with a patch associated with the movement.
Authorities said Carrillo may have used his own blood to write boogaloo
phrases, like “boog” and “stop the duopoly” on a vehicle he allegedly car
jacked. The meaning of the phrase isn't clear but---it's thought to be a political rallying cry against the two-party system.
Before the information was released Professor Jason Blazakis said he thought of the connection after initially hearing about the case.
The director of Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at
Middlebury Institute in Monterey said Boogaloo is comprised of many beliefs, that became more known in 2019.
“You have some folks who are going to be like Neo-Nazi, anti-people of color, and on the other hand, you’ll have people who feel like there is just too much government in their lives," Blazakis said.
But they have a common belief.
“One thing I think that does bind them together, though, is the fact that they tend to be anti-government in general and they have a particular distain for law enforcement which they see as essentially stomping on their rights,” Blazakis said.
Blazakis has seen a trend that the group may be using several recent events, like protests, as a camouflage for anti-government uprisings. He said they popped into the scene in early 2020 when the group was part of a Richmond, VA gun control and 2nd amendment rights rally. During COVID-19, he said the group was involved in anti-government lockdown protests. More recently, he said they've tied themselves to the Black Lives Matter protests to camouflage themselves to create acts of violence.
Carrillo is being held at the Monterey County Jail. Authorities say he will be brought into federal custody. KION is told that transfer is expected sometime next week.
