Category: Investigative
Private Mercenary Group Targets, Assaults, & Detains Anti-Police Protesters in Uptown Minneapolis
Conflict Resolution Group (CRG), the private security firm run by ex-mercenaries and hired by property owners, has assaulted, detained, threatened community members in Minneapolis.
“Abortion is Sacred:” The Past and Present of Reproductive Rights
When the topic of reproductive health pops up in U.S. news—usually with conservative states trying to limit its access—it’s easy to forget, or perhaps many haven’t learned, that less than 150 years ago, the now polarizing hot-button issue of abortion was a widely accepted part…
School Board Disruptions Escalate, Funded By Conservative Dark Money
An escalating series of demonstrations focusing on COVID-19 restrictions in public schools have created dangerous and chaotic conditions for school boards across the country in recent months. Egged on by a cadre of right-wing influencers, concerned parents from across the right-wing spectrum have flocked to…
Ruby Montoya Seeks to Withdraw Guilty Plea, Citing Coercion, Entrapment and Mental Health
Iowa City, IA – On August 26, admitted Dakota Access Pipeline saboteur Ruby Montoya filed a motion in federal court seeking to withdraw her guilty plea, claiming she was coerced into signing it by her previous attorneys, movement “leaders”, and her abusive father. The motion…
Line 3 Fusion Center Data Declared Secret
St. Paul, MN – Almost all records held by Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) related to the environmentally harmful Enbridge Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline are classified as secret, according to memos provided to Unicorn Riot as part of a denial of public…
Leaked ‘III% Security Force’ Chats Show Fractured Militia Thirsty for Violence
Douglasville, GA – Leaked chats from inside the III% Security Force (III%SF), one of the main factions of the loose-knit Three Percenter movement, provide a look inside one of the more violent far-right militias active in the USA. While voicing a desire to attack and…
Shame Games: Minneapolis Police Mock Community Engagement Officer
Minneapolis, MN – Newly released body camera footage from officers in the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) reveals a gang-like culture denigrating a central command community engagement officer. The videos also show a litany of micro-aggressions towards protesters, the general public and show the main aggressor,…
FBI Spy Plane Circled Minneapolis in Lead-Up to Chauvin Trial, Identified by Air Traffic Audio
Minneapolis, MN – The morning of Thursday, March 4, saw Minneapolitans waking up to the noise of a surveillance aircraft circling. The spy plane circled from around 9:15 a.m. until departing the airspace just after noon. There are likely to be similar flights in the…
Four Facts about Cieha Taylor’s Disappearance
Plant City, FL – Nearly one year ago 28-year-old Cieha Taylor’s black 2000 Toyota Solara was found parked on railroad tracks with the engine running; her cell phone, debit card and keys were inside. In researching this case, we came across four details which stood…
D.C. Riots: A Look at the Minnesota Contingent
Saint Paul, Minnesota – Numerous “patriots” from Minnesota followed incitement from President Donald Trump and took part in the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. on January 6. The events resulted in a police officer being beaten to death and four other…
ESKOM and the South African Energy Crises
Durban, SA – Since 2007, South Africa has experienced innumerable rolling blackouts and power outages due to the South African Energy Crises. Recurring utility disruptions have had tremendous financial, social and political impact on a country struggling to find ways to keep up with ever-increasing…
![image: aerial photograph of the city of Minneapolis in the daytime from the Department of Natural Resources airplane. The wing is visible on the bottom left side of the picture. Four images are superimposed: from left to right, a black rectangle with white text, "Getting that load to MN is the priority. Advise if plan B needs to be made for munitions."; a grey map showing an aircraft's flight record from northern Minnesota, to a location in Wyoming, then to Minneapolis; a white rectangle with black text from an email reading, "Subject: RE: Flight Info Steve will be able to load 1600 pounds of cargo onboard."; another white rectangle with black text, "Estimated Arrival in Casper Wyoming: 10:00 hours local time. Max Payload with required fuel, about 1500 pounds. Safariland Contact Wyoming Mike Kramer [redacted]. Safariland Contact Minneapolis Kevin Degel [redacted]."](https://ur-web1.unicornriot.ninja/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/FOIALawEnforcementResponseSTory-min.png)
Behind the Law Enforcement Response to the George Floyd Uprising – Pt 1: Munitions Delivery
Text messages, emails, photos and other records provide a rare look into the coordination between multiple agencies that took place in the aftermath of Floyd's killing.
Leaks Expose Conservative Movement Funders Prince and DeVos Family Offshore Money
Nassau, Bahamas – Former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of Blackwater Inc., (now ‘Academi‘) Erik Prince, and his extended family have been tied to a new batch of data leaks, revealing offshore business entities filed in the Bahamas, Unicorn Riot has found. In these leaks,…
Icebreaker Pt 11 – Bush/Clinton Era Customs Investigators Manuals
United States – Unicorn Riot obtained more than two dozen Homeland Security policy manuals including several from the 1980s and 1990s – 195 pages in all. This is the last release in our Icebreaker series.
While some of these documents have appeared elsewhere in various…
Denver Police Cash In on Houseless Encampment Clean-Ups
Denver, CO – For nearly eight years Denver police officers, public works employees, park rangers, and occasionally inmates have been carrying out and enforcing the Unauthorized Camping Ordinance (camping ban) signed into law by Mayor Michael Hancock during his first term in 2012. When investigating…
Icebreaker Pt 10 – Leaked ICE Agent Private Bill and Commercial Trade Fraud Investigation Handbooks
United States – Unicorn Riot obtained hundreds of pages of leaked ICE agent manuals. ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has a broad jurisdiction that includes both immigration and customs-related law enforcement.
Two areas that HSI works in are “private bill” and “commercial trade fraud” investigations.…
Icebreaker Pt 8 – Leaked ICE Handbooks for T and U Visa Application Investigations
United States – Unicorn Riot obtained confidential Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent policy manuals. Icebreaker Pt 8 covers ICE’s T and U visa application agent handbooks – covering the particular classes of U.S. residency visas that help victims of crimes and human trafficking.
In recent…
Icebreaker Pt 7 – ICE Case Management Handbook Based on Federal Law Enforcement “System of Systems”
United States – Unicorn Riot obtained confidential Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy manuals in 2017. Icebreaker Part 7 covers ICE’s “Case Management Handbook” which was in effect between 2008 and 2016. The handbook is closely based on a critical database structure called the Treasury…
Icebreaker Pt 6 – Leaked ICE Special Response Team Handbook for Planning and Executing Armed Raids
United States – Unicorn Riot obtained confidential Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agent policy manuals, which were in effect during the agency’s earlier years under presidents Bush and Obama. Icebreaker Part 6 covers ICE’s “Special Response Team” (SRT) area of doctrine, the section of…
Police Fusion Center Tied to Fake Social Media Accounts
Minneapolis, MN – Unicorn Riot filed a public records request to the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) for information related to the occupation of the 4th Precinct in 2015 after Jamar Clark was killed by police.
The documents we received offer a glimpse into the world…
Multi-Agency Task Force Prepares “Rules of Engagement” For Line 3 Protests
MINNESOTA – Unicorn Riot has uncovered documents revealing the creation of a task force stockpiling equipment and training police in preparation for Line 3 pipeline protests across the state. The documents show coordination between various law enforcement agencies from states across the region including Minnesota,…
Emails Show St. Paul Police Targeted Protest Organizers Seeking Justice for Philando
St. Paul, MN – Hundreds of emails and messages from St. Paul law enforcement, obtained and now released by Unicorn Riot, show that police were constantly using Facebook surveillance of protesters and interagency cooperation to target specific protest organizers involved with the 2016 ‘Justice Occupation…
Denver Paid Clean-Up Company $400,000 to Help in Houseless Sweeps
Denver, CO – For at least two years, the city of Denver has been contracting Custom Environmental Services, Inc. (CES) to assist in clearing out camps of people without housing. Unicorn Riot filed Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests and received about 50 invoices sent…
Cointelpro Gothic: Attorney General Whitaker Linked to Probes on 2008 RNC, Grand Juries
Southern District of Iowa – Acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, formerly Jeff Sessions’ Chief of Staff, served as US Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, from June 15, 2004 to November 25, 2009. During this tenure, his office engaged with FBI investigations around…