UPDATED: Your FBI At Work In Portland

Yes, Bill Barr's DoJ is taking action. Their main focus has always been on the principals behind the riots, and there can be no doubt that the funding infrastructure of Antifa/BLM is of particular interest. But in that process of investigation they're also scooping up gobs of personal information of all sorts--identities, communications, vehicles, rentals, living spaces, travel, payment means, etc.

This morning Shipwreckedcrew notes that--off the usual video coverage of the nightly riots--the FBI has been busy. We've already noted that fact that the FBI has beefed up the complement at its Portland Field Office. No doubt that means agents on the ground, but probably analysts as well. Moreover, analytical work can probably be farmed out to other Field Divisions without transferring personnel.

We've also heard that some significant numbers of rioters have been arrested. Unlike the catch and release programs of local law enforcement, there's only one reason that the FBI arrests someone: The federal government has decided to actually prosecute that person. And, in an earlier article, SWC outlined the criminal statute that's being used--at least for lower level rioters:

18 U.S. Code § 231.Civil disorders 

(a)
(1) Whoever teaches or demonstrates to any other person the use, application, or making of any firearm or explosive or incendiary device, or technique capable of causing injury or death to persons, knowing or having reason to know or intending that the same will be unlawfully employed for use in, or in furtherance of, a civil disorder which may in any way or degree obstruct, delay, or adversely affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce or the conduct or performance of any federally protected function; or 

(2) Whoever transports or manufactures for transportation in commerce any firearm, or explosive or incendiary device, knowing or having reason to know or intending that the same will be used unlawfully in furtherance of a civil disorder; or 

(3) Whoever commits or attempts to commit any act to obstruct, impede, or interfere with any fireman or law enforcement officer lawfully engaged in the lawful performance of his official duties incident to and during the commission of a civil disorder which in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or adversely affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce or the conduct or performance of any federally protected function— 

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Note that this statute applies not only to actions taken against federal personnel but also to local public safety personnel: "any fireman or law enforcement officer." And imprisonment up to 5 years. There will be pressure on federal judges to exact justice for the federal officers who protect federal judges and courthouses, especially if, for example, those officers have had their eyesight permanently damaged by lasers or have been otherwise injured. This isn't a game.

So, how has the FBI been busy? How has that activity come to the attention of Antifa/BLM? SWC cites a crowdfunding page:

We have confirmed reports of the Federal Bureau of Investigation visiting people’s homes in the last week or so. The result of some of these visits is that people with state charges, whether they have been no-complained or not, are being arrested by the FBI for federal charges of a similar nature.

So, sometimes they just want to talk, but other times the man comes, and takes you away. The Antifa legal wing maybe didn't do their homework.

SWC closes by noting what I've also maintained--these activities are only the tip of a major iceberg:

The feds are not playing “whack a rioter” every night in the street. Each night is another step in building a larger case against organizers of these riots. These consensual interviews are meant to identify participants and gather whatever information they can gather on other participants. I’m 100% confident there is a significant database already in existence that is documenting the identities and photographs of dozens or hundreds of individuals. In addition to the agent resources devoted to dismantling the “command and control” network of the Portland groups, the Portland FBI office is certainly dedicating a substantial amount of analyst work. All day long which rioters are resting up and getting ready for the nighttime festivities, numerous FBI analysts are going over audio, video, cell phone traffic, and any other communications they can monitor to track the individuals who are planning and providing the logistical resources being used to sustain these protesters.

This is not simply about clearing the streets. Just as in the Russia Hoax the investigators are working to go up the ladder as near to the top as possible. That's what we have the FBI for--to address organized interstate criminal activities. And as Kamala Harris would say, this isn't going to stop after the election.

UPDATE: Monica Showalter has an excellent article this morning: Antifa's violent, organized tactics are getting exposed. It fits in perfectly with the theme of this post--this is what the FBI and Bill Barr's DoJ is working to take down. That doesn't get done overnight, because they're working to identify the infrastructure and leaders. When you read Showalter you'll see that these people are professionally trained and working hard to counter just those types of investigations.

Here are several themes from Showalter's article:

1) The role of a professional Communist revolutionaries in Antifa and BLM--members of the Revolutionary Communist Party. 

2) The use of aggressive, omnipresent "security" operatives to keep all "demonstrators" actively in line and on message. The goal is to weed out any infiltrators. 

3) Historical ties to the Chavista movement in Venezuela, including training there. 

4) Assistance from establishment figures in local Dem controlled governments. 

5) Support from approved members of the MSM--with a list of those reporters who are approved.

As a sample, Showalter quotes from a lengthy blog: Intelligence Gathering at Protests. Obviously, I can't vouch for "J. D.," but it fits in. Excerpts:

Over the last few weeks, as protests and riots have continued, I decided to stop blindly accepting the media’s reporting and to get out and see what was actually going on at the rampant protests. 

... 

The narrative being presented was that these protests were not centrally organized and that they were grass-roots protests just springing up in response to social issues. My time inside the protests verified that this just isn’t true; they are very organized and are being planned by someone. 

... 

The first one I attended was on the University of Michigan campus. The protest was rather large, about 1,500 people. What I found interesting was that the first speaker pointed out that “allies from RevCom/ANTIFA” were present, just to provide “logistical support” including medical and security teams. The local RevCom leader got up and explained ... that security was “circulating among the crowd” for safety. That was an ominous statement, as I’ll point out later. 

I began moving through the crowd and quickly spotted several security team members, obviously watching the crowd for anyone who wasn’t clapping or cheering along. It’s important to note that these protests require 100% ideological agreement or they will approach you and become confrontational, so I made sure I was chanting along. ... 

The biggest observation from the first protest was that despite the claims that they aren’t organized, they are highly organized by a central organization. ...

Counter-Surveillance is a huge piece of the ANTIFA/RevCom program. They recorded license plate numbers of vehicles they deemed “suspicious”. At one point, when Ethan saw a man (not me) outside the protest taking photos, he tried to get the police to make the man leave. Imagine, protesting against the police, yet asking them to help you. ...

This is exactly what the FBI is trying to see through, to identify more than just street level people. They want to uncover those who are organizing and, above all, funding all this. Because this level of activity doesn't come free, or cheap. The call yesterday for "anti-Fascist" demonstrations in 23 cities across the country is a God-send for investigative purposes.