Authored by Ken Silva via Headline USA, the FBI’s mid-2000s program to stage neo-Nazi rallies around the country was just the beginning of a larger, multi-state investigation. Following the exposure of an FBI informant organizing a Nazi rally in Orlando in 2007, another operation was launched in the same area called “Primitive Affliction.” This operation involved setting up a neo-Nazi motorcycle front group to infiltrate Florida’s right-wing underground.
This tactic of using motorcycle front groups in politically charged domestic terrorism cases was a new approach for federal agencies. Then-FBI Director Robert Mueller had a personal interest in Primitive Affliction, being briefed daily on the operation during its final stages.
Although Primitive Affliction did not result in terrorism convictions, it shed light on the FBI’s infiltration and entrapment techniques similar to those used in past investigations against groups like the Aryan Nations. The Aryan Nations, once a prominent white supremacist group in the 1980s and 90s, had dwindled in the mid-2000s due to arrests and civil litigation.
One of the remaining Aryan Nations leaders, August Kreis, attempted to revive the group by collaborating with an undercover law enforcement officer, Robert Killian. The plan was to start a neo-Nazi motorcycle club called the 1st SS Kavallerie Brigade Motorcycle Division. Killian recruited an Outlaw biker named Brian Klose to lead the group, attracting informants and undercover agents to infiltrate the organization.
Kelly Boaz, an undercover agent involved in Primitive Affliction, posed as a renegade Black Pistons bomb-maker named “Kevin Post” to gather evidence against the group. Boaz, despite a controversial past in law enforcement, played a key role in the investigation.
The collapse of the 1st SS Kavallerie group led to arrests and legal proceedings. However, some defendants were wrongfully charged, like Deborah Plowman, who was mistaken for another individual by Boaz. Plowman’s case highlighted the carelessness in the FBI’s operation and led to her winning a civil lawsuit against Boaz.
The legal proceedings against the defendants revealed inconsistencies in the charges, with some being dropped or reduced to drug-related offenses. In one case, an Outlaw biker named Carlos Dubose was charged with serious offenses but later discovered that the evidence did not align with the initial claims made by Boaz.
Boaz’s credibility came into question during the legal proceedings, with defense attorneys challenging his testimony and the validity of the evidence presented. Despite some convictions from the operation, the FBI’s handling of the case raised concerns about the tactics used in politically charged investigations.
The American Front case, connected to Primitive Affliction, faced similar challenges in court, further casting doubt on the FBI’s methods. Bizarre events and threats during the legal process added more complexity to the unfolding story.
As more details emerge from the investigations, the involvement of high-ranking officials like Robert Mueller in these operations raises questions about the accountability and effectiveness of law enforcement tactics in combating domestic terrorism.
Follow Ken Silva on Twitter for updates on this ongoing investigation. Stay tuned for the next part of this series as more revelations surface about the hidden history of Robert Mueller’s right-wing terror factory.