| Veterans on Patrol | |
| Formation: | 2015 |
| Founder: | Michael “Lewis Arthur” Meyer |
| Type: | Militia |
| Purpose: | Vigilantism |
| Headquarters: | Pima County, Arizona |
Veterans on Patrol is an American anti-government militia movement founded by Michael “Lewis Arthur” Meyer.[1] [2] [3]
Veterans on Patrol was founded in Pima County, Arizona in 2015 with the initial aim of supporting military veterans. Since 2018, the activities of the organisation shifted away from its initially stated goals and towards anti-human trafficking activities on the Mexico–United States border.
Philosophies of the organisation include nativism, Christian nationalism, and anti-government values. Views shared by the group include antisemitic, anti-Mormon, anti-Catholic, anti-indigenous misinformation. Members embrace QAnon conspiracy theories and vigilante activities. In 2018, the group labelled a homeless encampment as a child sex-trafficking location.[4]
The group is known for embedding in communities to “launch missions related to migrants or purported child trafficking”. They claimed that hurricane Helene was “an act of war perpetuated by the United States Military”; a “land grab” responsible for “murdering hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans”.[5]
The group has over 70,000 followers of its Facebook page.