3 people face federal charges in Tesla arson attacks in U.S. as 80 more vehicles at Canada dealership are damaged

About 80 Tesla vehicles at a car dealership in Canada were damaged, authorities said, as the U.S. attorney general announced charges Thursday against three people accused of using Molotov cocktails to set fire to Tesla cars and charging stations.

On Wednesday, police in Hamilton, Ontario, were called to a dealership on Wentworth Street for a report of damage to vehicles that had been parked outside. The vehicles had deep scratches, punctured tires and other damage, Hamilton police said in a news release.

Authorities are reviewing security video and asking the public for help.

Similar incidents have happened across several U.S. states in recent weeks. On Thursday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced charges against three "violent Tesla arsonists" after attacks in Colorado, Oregon and South Carolina.

"The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended," Bondi said in a statement. "Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars."

Bondi referred to "domestic terrorism," but no one has been charged with domestic terrorism, which is not a specific federal crime.

One person was accused of being armed with a suppressed AR-15 rifle and throwing eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon, the Justice Department said in a news release.

The person arrested in the Charleston, South Carolina, incident, is alleged to have written wrote "profane messages against President Trump around Tesla charging stations" before using Molotov cocktails to ignite the stations, the news release said.

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In Loveland, Colorado, a person was arrested and accused of trying to light Tesla vehicles on fire with Molotov cocktails.

Bondi vowed that all three will "face the full force of the law." Their names have not been released. They each face charges that carry minimum sentences of five years in prison.

On Tuesday, a person armed with a gun and Molotov cocktails set Tesla vehicles on fire at a Tesla Collision Center in Las Vegas. Police said it was a "targeted attack" that damaged at least five vehicles, two of which were engulfed in flames.

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Tesla vehicles set on fire in apparent act of protest

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The attacker "fired three rounds into different Tesla vehicles" and spray-painted the word "RESIST" in all capital letters on the center's door, authorities alleged.

Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla CEO and adviser to President Donald Trump, said Thursday on X that Tesla has increased security and activated Sentry Mode on all vehicles at stores. The safety feature allows enabled vehicles’ cameras and sensors to remain powered on and ready to record suspicious activity.