The FBI arrested at least seven people throughout the Midwest this weekend, including one in Chicago's western suburbs, in what several reports are calling an apparent crackdown on a militia-like group of religious fanatics.
The suburban Chicago arrest happened in Clarendon Hills, where a person wanted by the FBI in Detroit was taken into custody Sunday morning.
The FBI raided a home in the 1900 block of Calumet Avenue in Whiting, Indiana, Saturday evening looking for the same person, but the arrest was not made until early Sunday, according to the FBI.
FBI agents shut down the street for several hours while executing their warrant, according to an employee of nearby Gusto's Pizza, who requested anonymity.
"They wouldn't even let us leave, wouldn't let us get no orders in or out," he said.
An FBI agent said the home's resident - a caucasian man who lived there with his brother - was suspected of making bombs, according to the employee. He said he saw FBI agents take several boxes and at least two dogs out of the home.
The dogs "had been trained to do bodily harm," said the employee.
FBI officials would say only that the arrest warrant is sealed, and more information is not currently available.
However, the AP is reporting that raids were also made in two Michigan counties near the Ohio border this weekend, and two people were also arrested in northwest Ohio.
WXYZ-TV reported that one of the raids centered on a Michigan property where suspected members of a militia live. The station also reported that other militia groups are saying the raids are all connected -- but the FBI has not confirmed that.
The Detroit News is reporting that the FBI raids are targeting a Christian militia group called the Hutaree. Members of the group describe themselves as "Christian soldiers who are preparing for the arrival and battle with the anti-Christ," the paper reported.
There seems to be some confusion about who the FBI is seeking out. Mike Lackomar, who's involved with a group named Michigan Militia, told the paper neither his organization nor The Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia were involved in any way.
Lackomar called the Hutaree "a religious cult," which is not involved with the Michigan militia community, the Detroit News reported.
According Lackomar, members of the Hutaree group allegedly made violent threats toward Islamic groups, which may have prompted the raids.
