According to Raw Story, a group of what they call anti-government extremists have arrived in western North Carolina, about 50 miles away from Ashville, to aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. This was on the 11th of October, and at first, only four people arrived, bringing no supplies. The problem is, they say that the group from Veterans on Patrol (VOP) is also threatening to destroy cell phone towers and military vehicles.

Initially, locals welcomed the help but later became wary of what some claims members allegedly made. Reportedly, members of the group have been claiming that the killer Hurricane was actually a “weather weapon” and that the US military is attempting to kill citizens with these “directed energy weapons.” You may have read similar claims circulating around social media.

Veterans on Patrol (VOP) is an American anti-government militia movement founded in 2015 by Michael “Lewis Arthur” Meyer in Pima County, Arizona. Initially established to support homeless veterans, the organization has since shifted its focus toward anti-human trafficking activities along the U.S.-Mexico border. The first red flag against Meyer should be the fact that numerous sources have come out and claimed that the man is not even a veteran. 

VOP’s philosophies encompass nativism, Christian nationalism, and anti-government sentiments. The group has propagated conspiracy theories, including QAnon narratives, and has engaged in vigilante activities targeting migrants and humanitarian workers. In 2018, VOP claimed to have discovered a “child sex-trafficking camp” in Tucson, Arizona, a claim that was debunked by local and federal law enforcement, who identified the site as a homeless encampment.

VOP has taken to the controversial social media platform “Telegram” to share their message. It is there they posted photos of what looked to be normal cell phone towers. A message run with the image stated that the locals “are in ‘live exercises’ where the United States military is permitted to destroy your homes, bodies and minds.”