Nevada lithium mine opponents were tracked by FBI and local law enforcement for years
Federal and local agencies monitored Indigenous activists protesting the Thacker Pass lithium mine in northern Nevada, using joint terrorism task forces and private security teams to track their movements and online activity.
Mark Olalde reports for ProPublica.
In short:
- Records show at least 10 law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, surveilled mostly peaceful protesters, sharing data from social media and cameras installed near campsites.
- Lithium Americas, the company developing the mine, hired a former FBI counterterrorism agent and collaborated with authorities to secure the project.
- Indigenous groups opposing the mine cite threats to sacred land and water, while demand for lithium continues to rise amid the shift to renewable energy.
Key quote:
“We’re being watched, we’re being followed, we’re under the microscope.”
— Gary McKinney, spokesperson for People of Red Mountain
Why this matters:
The Thacker Pass mine sits at the intersection of clean energy goals and Indigenous rights. Lithium is essential for electric vehicle batteries and other renewable technologies, but most reserves lie on or near tribal lands, forcing communities to choose between cultural survival and global climate targets. The surveillance of protesters raises questions about how far governments and corporations will go to secure access to these resources. As the U.S. scrambles to compete with China in critical mineral supply, the tension between environmental protection, national security, and civil liberties is growing, especially in regions already facing water scarcity and legacies of dispossession.
Read more: Nevada activists push back against lithium mining near Ash Meadows
