Hinshaw's David S. Weinstein Discusses Arrest of Larry Hopkins, Founder of Militia Group UCP
David S. Weinstein, a white collar attorney in Hinshaw's Miami office and a former federal prosecutor, discussed with Andrew Hay of Reuters the arrest today of Larry Hopkins, leader of a militia group called United Constitutional Patriots (UCP). UCP members—armed and wearing military fatigues—have reportedly been arresting undocumented migrants at the U.S./Mexico border.
Hopkins was arrested by the FBI on a weapons charge. Weinstein said the U.S. Border Patrol's tacit allowance of the UCP to operate may have allowed it to go beyond what citizens are legally permitted to do: “[t]o the extent where the FBI has got involved, I think it’s escalated to a point where they need to send a stronger message out to them that ‘No, we told you not to do this.’"
"Leader of armed group at U.S. border boasted of assassination training: FBI" was published by Thomson Reuters, April 22, 2019.