FBI Seizes Record-Breaking Explosive Cache During Virginia Farm Raid

The FBI has reported discovering more than 150 bombs during a raid on a farm in Virginia, marking what is believed to be the largest bomb cache ever seized by the agency. Brad Spafford was arrested on December 17 in Isle of Wight County, located 180 miles (290 km) south of Washington, D.C., following a tip-off about his alleged stockpiling of weapons and homemade ammunition on the property he shares with his wife and two young children. Investigators found some of the devices in a bedroom, stored in an unsecured backpack labeled #nolivesmatter, a phrase linked to a far-right, anti-government movement. A lawyer representing Mr. Spafford has denied that he poses a danger to the community and is seeking his client's release from pre-trial detention.

The suspect has been charged with possessing an unregistered short-barrelled rifle, though investigators suggest additional charges are likely. On Tuesday, they confirmed that the bombs discovered were preliminarily assessed as the largest seizure by number of finished explosive devices in FBI history.

Mr. Spafford allegedly used photos of U.S. President Joe Biden for target practice and expressed hopes that Vice President Kamala Harris would be assassinated. He had recently sought sniper rifle qualifications at a local range, according to court documents.

The charging papers reveal that an unnamed neighbor reported Mr. Spafford continued building bombs even after losing three fingers on his right hand in 2021, due to an accident involving a homemade explosive device. This neighbor, a former law enforcement officer, wore a recording device during a visit to Mr. Spafford's 20-acre farm earlier this year. The information gathered led the FBI to conduct a search of the property, where they discovered explosives scattered around the home, as outlined in the charging document.

An initial FBI assessment identified the devices as pipe bombs. The majority were found in a detached garage, sorted by color, with some labeled lethal. Several bombs were discovered inside a wearable vest, according to court documents.

Additional bombs were found unsecured in a backpack inside the home, with the exterior marked #nolivesmatter. This label is associated with a movement that promotes extremist ideology, targeted attacks, mass killings, and criminal activity, and has allegedly encouraged self-harm and animal abuse, according to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

In addition to the pipe bombs, investigators uncovered a jar of highly volatile HMTD (hexamethylene triperoxide diamine), a substance so unstable that it can explode from a simple temperature change, without the need for a detonator. The jar, labeled Dangerous and Do Not Touch, was stored in a freezer next to food accessible to the children, according to court documents.

The neighbor also informed investigators that Mr. Spafford had discussed fortifying the property with a turret for a .50-caliber firearm on the roof.

Mr. Spafford, who worked at a machine shop, allegedly claimed that missing children reported in the news had been taken by the federal government to be trained as school shooters, according to court documents.

A lawyer representing Mr. Spafford argued on Tuesday that the government's assertion that he posed a danger was rank speculation and fear-mongering, noting that the suspect had no criminal record. There is not a shred of evidence in the record that Mr. Spafford ever threatened anyone, and the suggestion that someone might be in danger because of their political views and comments is nonsensical, the lawyer stated.

The federal judge overseeing the case initially ordered Mr. Spafford's release with electronic monitoring. However, that decision is currently on hold as the government seeks to have the suspect remain in pre-trial detention.