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Jade Helm: Retaliation Plot Foiled, Federal Officials Say

By Tara Dodrill
Published on: 01:56 PST, Aug 7, 2015

A Jade Helm retaliation plot was foiled by the feds, government officials maintain. Three North Carolina men allegedly “stockpiled” ammo and firearms to lure and trap special forces team members who were participating in the realistic military exercises known as Operation Jade Helm 15.

Federal officials are claiming that the three North Carolina men involved in the Jade Helm plot were amassing enough weaponry and supplies to be prepared for war. The items federal agents reportedly found when executing searches on the homes of the men included body armor, Kevlar helmets, “dozens” of rounds of “military-grade” sniper rifle ammunition, homemade grenades, and pipe bombs.

Jade Helm retaliation plot suspects arrested earlier this week include Walter Eugene Litteral, 50; Christopher James Barker, 41; and Christopher Todd Campbell, 30. Federal agents claim the North Carolina men spent “months” putting together their plan to disrupt the realistic military exercises going on in seven southwestern states this summer.

According to arrest documents, the bulk of the weapons, ammo, and gear was purchased via the owner of a military surplus store. The owner of the store reportedly became so concerned about the Jade Helm 15 plot that he alerted federal authorities about the men’s purchases.

All three of the North Carolina men were arrested and charged with amassing weaponry and conspiracy crimes. Court documents indicate that the Jade Helm retaliation plot suspects were purchasing weaponry to fight back against a plan by the federal government to impose martial law and other controversial dictates.

After relocating the military surplus store to Gaston County, North Carolina, in January, the FBI informant became concerned about Campbell’s “anti-government” views. Campbell owns a tattoo parlor several doors down from the surplus store.

In February, Campbell allegedly introduced the military surplus store owner to Litteral. The Jade Helm plot suspects told the informant that the “federal government intended to use the armed forces to impose martial law in the United States, which they and others would resist with violent force,” according to court documents.

The court records also make a point of noting that large purchases at the store were made in April and paid for in cash. The Jade Helm retaliation plot allegedly included plans to make “explosive tennis balls” that were covered in nails and placed in coffee cans with ball bearings. One of the suspects allegedly planned to ignite the pipe bomb with a shot from the sniper rifle.

“Lemme tell you something, I gonna have my f*****g house rigged up; these motherf*****s come try to come in my house, it’s gonna go off,” Litteral allegedly said during a phone conversation with the FBI informant. “I got a f*****g .45 beside my bed. I got a .45 and a 9-mil in my truck. I’ve got a 9-mil and a .380, or a .380 in her car. Safe full of weapons. You know what? Every time I open up this damn safe, I mean I’ve got, I’ve got at least 30 weapons that I can see and some tucked all the way in the back back.”

The Jade Helm plan allegedly involved a test of the explosives in Shelby, North Carolina. An “ambush” of special forces soldiers was slated to take place on a 99-acre camp owned by Campbell and Litteral in Clover, South Carolina, arrest records alleged.

“According to [Campbell], he and Litteral intend to booby-trap the camp and draw government’s forces into the camp and kill them,” the warrant says.

Federal agents raided the homes and properties owned by all three North Carolina men, including the tattoo parlor owned by Campbell. If convicted for the Jade Helm retaliation plot charges levied against them, the men could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Campbell faces an additional charge relating to receiving, possessing, or making a firearm, which could land him in prison for up to 10 years.

What do you think about Operation Jade Helm 15 and the retaliation plot arrests?

[Image via: Shutterstock]

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