Critics have raised concerns after a leader within the far-right group, Oath Keepers, claimed that active-duty police officers have been helping them train. The revelation came as Oath Keepers leader Jim Arroyo sat down for an interview with 60 Minutes.
“Our guys are very experienced. We have active-duty law enforcement in our organization that are helping to train us,” Arroyo said.
“We can blend in with our law enforcement ― in fact, in a lot of cases, our training is much more advanced because of our military backgrounds.”
The police training that the Oath Keepers have received has reportedly made members of the group more difficult to monitor. Former FBI official Javed Ali claims that a "large percentage" of Oath Keepers members have "tactical training" or "operational experience" in law enforcement or the military.
“I think what makes the Oath Keepers unique and challenging, beyond that they are a formal group with chapters all over the country, is that a large percentage have tactical training and operational experience in either the military or law enforcement," Ali told 60 Minutes.
Apparently, some of the Oath Keepers members took it upon themselves to use their training to storm the Capitol on January 6. However, Arroyo claims that those who did so acted alone and not in accordance with other members.
“I want to congratulate Stewart Rhodes and his 10 militia buddies for winning first place in the ultimate dumb--- contest, ’cause that’s what it was,” he continued.
“That goes against everything we’ve ever taught, everything we believe in. It was pre-planned. It was pre-staged. Ten guys go and do something stupid, and suddenly we’re the devil.”
Thus far, more than 400 people have been arrested for their involvement in the Capitol Hill riots. While Rhodes never stepped inside the Capitol on January 6, federal officials are seeking to charge him with helping to plan the event.
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