UPDATE: Cliven Bundy is scheduled to appear in federal court at 1.30pm in Portland.
Cliven Bundy, father of currently jailed militia leader Ammon Bundy, was arrested late Wednesday morning in Portland, Oregon after he disembarked from a flight from Las Vegas, Nevada. It has been reported that he was flying to join the remaining four holdouts at the Refuge. CNN reports.
Bundy was booked and detained at the Multnomah County Detention Center shortly before 11 p.m. local time, the sheriff's office confirmed. The FBI did not disclose the charges that were filed but did report that the U.S. Attorney's office in Las Vegas would provide a statement on Thursday.
The Oregonian newspaper reports that Bundy still faces charges related to the standoff between federal agents and militia members on his Nevada ranch that occurred in 2014. At the time, Bundy reportedly owed over $1 million in fees for his cattle trespassing on federal property without a permit for over 20 years. Bundy refused to acknowledge that the land was federal property and thus far has not made any payments on the fees. It is possible that the arrest is in relation to those charges.
Currently, four protesters remain at the refuge, but they stated that they would surrender Thursday morning after participating in a YouTube streamed live audio feed with Conservative Nevada lawmaker, Michele Fiore last night during which time they taunted the FBI, demanded they make concessions and held numerous prayer sessions.
The FBI has "moved to contain the remaining occupiers by placing agents at barricades both immediately ahead of and behind the area where the occupiers are camping." Thus far, they have not used any force and no shots have been fired. Negotiations are on going.
The FBI representative, Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon states:
"The FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully, however, we reached a point where it became necessary to take action in a way that best ensured the safety of those on the refuge, the law enforcement officers who are on scene, and the people of Harney County who live and work in this area."
Mugshot released of Cliven Bundy.
Note: We will continue to monitor this situation in Oregon as it unfolds and will update this story as events change.
