Charges: Militia supporter in Anoka, Minn. arrested for machine gun, drugs

ANOKA, Minn. (FOX 9) - An Anoka, Minnesota man, who prosecutors say has shown support for an anti-government militia group, was arrested after federal authorities say they found weapons, including a machine gun and a grenade launcher, along with drugs at his home.

Fifty-year-old Darrian Nguyen is charged with illegal possession of a machine gun and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Nguyen was arrested as part of an investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. According to charges, authorities learned of Nguyen alleged activities as a result of information from a paid informant.

According to the criminal complaint, the informant told authorities Nguyen had anti-government inspirations, supported the "Three Percenters" militia group, and talked of "killing liberals" and attacking Black Lives Matters supporters.

The complaint states that the informant told authorities that Nguyen had a "secret room" in his home stocked with weapons, including multiple firearms, a grenade launcher, and pipe bombs. The informant also allegedly told agents that Nguyen sold methamphetamine out of his home.

When the informant talked to authorities in April 2022, the informant hadn't spoken to the Nguyen in more than a year, due to a debt the informant owed Nguyen.

Over the course of months, agents used the informant, sometimes wired and recording audio, to speak with Nguyen and gather evidence. According to the complaints, Nguyen told the informant he wanted the informant to buy him an automatic weapon to satisfy the debt. During a later meeting, Nguyen asked for a short-barreled rifle.

According to the charges, Nguyen discussed the weapons he had and his meth operation during the meetings. During a text message exchange following the raid at Mar-a-Lago, Nguyen allegedly sent a text message with a Facebook link for a video titled "It's time, the hour has come" featuring a conspiracy theorist talking about the FBI's search of Donald Trump's residence.

Speaking on a recorded conversation, investigators say Nguyen explained the video, saying: "I think we should put (sic) a revolution" and expressing his hopes Donald Trump would conduct a "coup d'etat."

After months of discussion, Nguyen agreed to meet with the informant on Tuesday, October 4. During the meeting, the informant brought a short-barreled rifle with an auto sear to make it automatic.

Prosecutors say, the FBI then executed a search warrant at Nguyen's home where they found the machine along with several other weapons in the "secret room." Among those weapons was an AR-styled rifle equipped with a grenade launcher.

Nguyen made his first appearance in court on Wednesday.