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The Family committed an estimated $48 million
worth of arson and vandalism under the names of
the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth
Liberation Front. The cell’s most notorious
crime was the 1998 arson of a Vail, Colorado ski
resort that caused more than $24 million in
damages and drew international attention to
eco-terrorists—those who break the law in the
misguided attempt to protect the environment and
animal rights.
The
FBI took the lead in the Vail investigation,
working closely with local, state, and federal
law enforcement partners, and in 2004, multiple
eco-terrorism investigations were condensed into
Operation Backfire. In July 2011, one
of Rubin’s conspirators, Justin Solondz, was
turned over to U.S. authorities by the Chinese
government. Solondz had been imprisoned in China
on drug charges. That leaves two Operation
Backfire fugitives still at large, and there is
a reward for information leading to their
arrest.
“Two years ago we had four fugitives. Now we
have two so we are halfway there,” said Special
Agent Tim Suttles, who works in our Portland
Division and has been investigating the
eco-terrorist group since 2005.
Although Suttles said it is “very satisfying” to
see Rubin surrender and submit herself to the
judicial process, the Operation Backfire
investigation will not be closed until the last
two fugitives Joseph Dibee and Josephine
Overaker are in custody. |
