The members of the armed militia in Oregon occupying a wildlife refuge in Oregon said they would surrender to the FBI in front of the world on Thursday, after several hours of informal, yet firm negotiations that were broadcast live on YouTube.
The remaining Citizens For Constitutional Freedom members at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge tentatively agreed to walk off the refuge at 8am, appearing to back down after the FBI dramatically closed in on their occupation.
In an additional twist to the militia saga, Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, whose 2014 standoff with the federal government inspired the occupation in Oregon, was arrested. The FBI said Bundy was taken into federal custody in Portland, but declined to disclose the charges.
Cliven Bundy’s two sons, Ammon and Ryan, were both arrested in connection with the standoff in Oregon two weeks ago, after a shootout with federal authorities that ended in the arrest of almost a dozen militia members and the death of the occupation’s spokesman, LaVoy Finicum.