Justen Watkins, a one-time leader of the Base now out on-bail while facing terrorism related charges, made disturbing Instagram posts before his arrest. Twenty-five-year-old Michigan native Justen Watkins, a reputed former leader of a neo-Nazi terror group under an FBI counterterrorism probe, continues to be free on bond after his court date was once again delayed. VICE News has obtained a data dump of postings from a private Instagram account associated with Watkins, which was active before his arrest in October 2020. In the massive cache, dated from late 2019 into 2020, there are calls for murder and several images believed to be of Watkins, who was the one-time leader of the Base, with firearms and paramilitary gear. One particularly disturbing video pans between what looks like a military-style rifle on the passenger side of a car and an armored vehicle parked at a gas station. A caption reads “Bout to play some [Grand Theft Auto].” After getting out of jail on bond in late 2020, Watkins has yet to face charges in court due to a mixture of coronavirus-related delays and his attorney dumping him as a client. Authorities are aware Watkins had access to firearms and has been accused of being previously intent on acts of terror, yet he remains free. His release while facing serious terrorism-related charges highlights the difficulty authorities have in keeping far-right militants behind bars—a problem they likely wouldn’t face if Watkins was a member of or providing material support to an international terrorist organization like ISIS or al-Qaeda.
via vice: Accused Neo-Nazi Terrorist’s Account Posted Threatening Videos of Him Armed in Public