MINNEAPOLIS — While Governor Walz and Mayor Frey continue to frame the ongoing chaos in Minneapolis as a “spontaneous” outpouring of community grief, a massive leak of encrypted communications suggests a far more calculated—and dangerous—reality.
A series of internal Signal chat logs, brought to light by independent journalist Cam Higby, has pulled back the curtain on what appears to be a sophisticated “Shadow Command” structure. The leaked threads detail a level of coordination that goes well beyond activism, venturing into the territory of organized urban insurgency.
“Shields Up”: Tactical Coordination in the Dark
The leaked messages, originating from groups with names like “TC Defense Net” and “Shields Up,” show high-level coordination between various factions on the ground. These aren’t just discussions about where to hand out water bottles; the logs reveal real-time intelligence gathering on federal troop movements, the placement of DHS snipers, and strategic “bottlenecking” of local police.
One particularly damning exchange from the thread shows organizers discussing the “procurement” of high-grade lasers to be used against DHS pilots—a federal offense. Another message instructs “front liners” on how to identify plainclothes federal agents, urging followers to “neutralize the threat” by outing them to the mob.
The “Sanctuary” Connection
What is most troubling to federal investigators—and to a public weary of the constant smoke—is the apparent intersection between these radical groups and certain local political circles.
The Signal logs suggest that activists were tipped off about the timing of DHS raids in several “sanctuary neighborhoods.” This raises the uncomfortable question: are local officials merely failing to stop the unrest, or are they actively enabling the very groups that are burning the city?
President Trump alluded to this digital subversion in his latest address, stating that “Division, Chaos, and Violence” are being “stoked” from within. If these Signal chats are authentic, they provide the smoking gun for a narrative the administration has pushed for weeks: that this is not a protest, but a coordinated attempt to dismantle federal authority by any means necessary.
A Breakdown of Law and Logic
For the residents of Minneapolis who are just trying to get to work or keep their small businesses from being gutted, the leaks are a slap in the face. While the Mayor speaks of “healing,” the people he claims to represent are being used as pawns in a digital chess game played by radicals who view the city as a disposable laboratory for revolution.
The DHS has reportedly added these chat logs to their ongoing investigation. If federal prosecutors can link the “Shadow Command” to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti—or to the obstruction of the BCA—the charges could move beyond rioting and into the realm of domestic terrorism.
The Bottom Line: You can’t have “Safe Sanctuaries” for the law-abiding when the people controlling the streets are operating in the shadows of encrypted apps, shielded by a local government that refuses to see the fire until it’s at their own doorstep.
Developing: Sources within the DOJ suggest that subpoenas for Signal’s metadata are being prepared, though the encrypted nature of the platform remains a significant hurdle for federal “Common Sense” enforcement.
