Eleanor Finch
The United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) is a right-wing unofficial militia group based in Flora Vista in northern New Mexico. The group was founded by felon Larry Hopkins, also known as Johnny Horton Jr. The UCP gained prominence in October 2018 when they joined forces with two other groups: Patriots of the Constitution (POC) and Mountain Minutemen, to secure the US-Mexico border in response to a migrant caravan from Honduras. The UCP has been known to detain migrants, sometimes at gunpoint, and has been accused of illegal activities and promoting far-right ideologies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Group | Right-wing unofficial militia group |
| Base Location | Flora Vista, Farmington, northern New Mexico |
| Group Leader | Larry Mitchell Hopkins (aka Johnny Horton, Jr.) |
| Spokesperson | Jim Benvie (until May 2019) |
| Year of Formation | 2018 |
| Group Activities | Detaining alleged illegal immigrants, livestreaming encounters with migrants on social media |
| Group's Stated Intent | To support Border Patrol and show the public the reality of the border |
| Group's Stated Purpose | To remain until the Mexico-US border wall is built or until Congress passes stronger immigration laws |
| Group's Chain of Command | Paramilitary organization with a clear chain of command structure, donning combat fatigues, wearing badges, carrying firearms |
| Group's Membership | About 20 members in 2017; lost about half its members in May 2019 |
| Group's Allies | Patriots of the Constitution (POC), Mountain Minutemen |
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What You'll Learn
- The United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) is a right-wing militia group based in Flora Vista, New Mexico
- The group was founded by felon Larry Hopkins, also known as Johnny Horton Jr
- UCP gained prominence in October 2018 by joining forces with two other groups: Patriots of the Constitution and Mountain Minutemen
- They have detained migrants at gunpoint and claim to have citizen's arrest powers
- The group's spokesman, Jim Benvie, split from UCP in May 2019 and formed his own militia group
The United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) is a right-wing militia group based in Flora Vista, New Mexico
UCP has been characterised as a paramilitary organisation with a clear chain of command, donning combat fatigues, badges, and carrying firearms. They have been known to detain migrants attempting to cross the border into the United States, sometimes at gunpoint, and summon legitimate border patrol agents to apprehend them. The group has livestreamed these encounters on social media, claiming to have detained up to 300 migrants in one evening and 3,000 migrants in total.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) describes UCP as an "unofficial militia group" operating primarily in southern New Mexico. The group's leader, Hopkins, has a history of criminal convictions, including felony firearms offences and impersonating a police officer. In April 2019, he was arrested by the FBI on charges of illegal firearm possession.
UCP gained notoriety when a video surfaced in April 2019, showing them detaining 200 migrants at gunpoint near Sunland Park, New Mexico. This incident led to their removal from the campsite by authorities, as they had been trespassing on railroad property owned by Union Pacific. The group's spokesman, Jim Benvie, claimed that they were present in New Mexico "to support the Border Patrol and show the public the reality of the border." He also indicated that UCP intended to remain in the area until the Mexico-United States border wall was built or stronger immigration laws were enacted.
The activities of the UCP have been criticised by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico, which considers the group a product of "vile racism" and an embodiment of white nationalist and fascist ideologies. The ACLU has dismissed the group's claims of performing "citizen's arrests," stating that such arrests are allowable only for felonies. The governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, has also asserted that the UCP vigilantes have no legal right to detain people entering the United States.
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The group was founded by felon Larry Hopkins, also known as Johnny Horton Jr
The United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) is a right-wing, unofficial militia group founded by felon Larry Hopkins, also known as Johnny Horton Jr. The group is based in Flora Vista in northern New Mexico and operates primarily in the southern part of the state, detaining alleged illegal immigrants.
Hopkins has a long criminal history, including multiple convictions for firearms offences and impersonating a police officer. He was also arrested in 2019 for illegal possession of firearms as a felon. In addition, there were allegations that Hopkins and the UCP were training to assassinate prominent political figures.
The UCP gained national attention in April 2019 when a video was released showing the group detaining 200 migrants at gunpoint on the US-Mexico border. The group has been criticised by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for its "vile racism" and illegal activities.
UCP functions as a paramilitary organization with a clear chain of command. They have livestreamed their encounters with migrants on social media and claimed to have detained large numbers of migrants. The group intends to remain active on the border until a wall is built or stronger immigration laws are passed.
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UCP gained prominence in October 2018 by joining forces with two other groups: Patriots of the Constitution and Mountain Minutemen
The United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) is a right-wing unofficial militia group based in Flora Vista in northern New Mexico. The group was founded by felon Larry Hopkins, who uses the pseudonym Johnny Horton Jr.
UCP gained prominence in October 2018 when they joined forces with two other groups: Patriots of the Constitution (POC) and Mountain Minutemen. The three groups collaborated to secure the border in response to the migrant caravan travelling from Honduras to the United States. On October 19, 2018, UCP and POC issued a press release stating that several thousand migrants were being trucked to the border and that it was imperative to have "boots on the ground." They also claimed that migrants were coming by boat to San Diego and from Africa and South America.
UCP, along with POC and Mountain Minutemen, aimed to work with the Border Patrol to secure the border. However, the Border Patrol has denied working with UCP. The group has been criticised for its illegal activities, such as detaining migrants at gunpoint and holding them until law enforcement arrives. They have also been accused of espousing conspiracy theories and using President Donald Trump's assertions about immigrants "invading" the United States to justify their actions.
UCP functions as a paramilitary organisation with a clear chain of command, combat fatigues, badges, and firearms. They identify themselves as border patrol and summon legitimate border patrol agents to apprehend migrants. The group has livestreamed encounters with migrants on social media and claims to have detained up to 300 migrants in one evening and 3,000 migrants in total.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has documented conspiracy theories espoused by the group, including the belief that migrant caravans are an invading army or a means for Muslim militants to enter the US. They have also expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory.
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They have detained migrants at gunpoint and claim to have citizen's arrest powers
The United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) is a right-wing unofficial militia group based in Flora Vista in northern New Mexico. The group was founded by felon Larry Mitchell Hopkins, who uses the pseudonym Johnny Horton Jr. and has multiple criminal convictions, including firearms offences and impersonating a police officer.
UCP gained prominence in October 2018 when they joined forces with two other groups: Patriots of the Constitution (POC) and Mountain Minutemen. They issued a press release stating their intention to secure the border in response to a migrant caravan traveling from Honduras to the United States.
In February 2019, UCP members began camping and patrolling along the southern border in New Mexico to detain migrants attempting to cross into the US. They have filmed and posted videos online of their encounters, including detaining migrants at gunpoint. These videos show UCP members masked, dressed in camouflage, heavily armed, and walking with dogs as they "patrolled" the border.
UCP claims to be performing "citizen's arrests" and has detained up to 300 migrants in one evening. However, these claims have been dismissed by authorities and organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who state that citizens' arrests are allowable only for felonies. New Mexico's governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, has declared that it is "completely unacceptable" for migrant families to be threatened or detained by regular citizens, emphasizing that citizens have no authority to arrest or detain anyone.
Despite acknowledging that their actions may be illegal, UCP spokesman Jim Benvie has defended their activities as legal and comparable to "verbal citizen's arrests." He claims that they hold migrants until Border Patrol arrives and that their presence is to “support the Border Patrol and show the public the reality of the border." The group intends to remain in the area until the Mexico-United States border wall is built or Congress passes stronger immigration laws.
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The group's spokesman, Jim Benvie, split from UCP in May 2019 and formed his own militia group
The United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) is a right-wing unofficial militia group based in Flora Vista in northern New Mexico. The group was founded by felon Larry Hopkins, who uses the pseudonym Johnny Horton, Jr. In April 2019, the group gained national attention for detaining migrants at the US-Mexico border, with some sources claiming they had detained 3,000 migrants. The group's leader, Hopkins, was arrested in April 2019 for being a felon in possession of firearms.
Benvie's new group, the Guardian Patriots, is also an armed right-wing militia group operating on the US-Mexico border. They have been accused of detaining migrants and impersonating border patrol agents. Benvie has been documented wearing a camouflage jacket with an eagle-head insignia patch and a badge reading "Fugitive Recovery Agent". Videos posted by Benvie to Facebook and YouTube show the group ordering migrants, including children, to sit on the ground and intercepting groups of migrants.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has described the UCP as a product of the "vile racism" of the Trump administration, which has "emboldened white nationalists and fascists to flagrantly violate the law." The ACLU has also referred to the Guardian Patriots as "an armed fascist militia organization" that illegally detains people seeking asylum.
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Frequently asked questions
The United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) is based in Flora Vista in northern New Mexico.
The United Constitutional Patriots is a right-wing unofficial militia group.
The head of the UCP is Larry Mitchell Hopkins, also known as Johnny Horton Jr.
The UCP gained national attention in April 2019 for detaining migrants at the US-Mexico border. They have also been accused of training to assassinate Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and George Soros.
The group was kicked out of their camp in Sunland Park, New Mexico, in April 2019. Their leader, Larry Hopkins, was arrested on a federal weapons charge.
