The FBI recently arrested Elizabeth Ballesteros West, a transgender person from Oregon, for making threats against various minority groups. West’s arrest reveals a troubling pattern of behavior and a cache of weapons that posed a significant threat.
The FBI arrested Elizabeth Ballesteros West, a 56-year-old transgender woman from Cottage Grove, Oregon. West was discovered with a cache of guns and has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. According to federal agents and court records, West is being held at the Lane County Jail, and the investigation is ongoing.
What are the allegations against Elizabeth Ballesteros West?
The allegations are that West made threats to kill Jews and black people online, as well as reposted content about a mass shooting while displaying her own Nazi flag and multiple guns. She also threatened her “transphobic” coworkers. She was discovered with 16 rifles, 11 handguns, tens of thousands of ammunition rounds, gun accessories, 48 drawings, and a composition notebook called Black Shadow Journal.
According to the affidavit, the FBI first visited West, the self-proclaimed “Nazi Dominatrix from Hell, who is tired of the blackening of America and Europe and ready to stand up to the Black Orcs and Jewish wizards,” in September after receiving a tip about one of her Facebook posts in which she appeared to threaten her coworkers.
According to the affidavit, one picture was titled “Veil Mistress, the Man Slayer-Queen of the Underworld.” The first page of the composition notebook she dubbed “the Black Shadow Journal” read: “Blood, death, self-torture, self-hatred, wicked thoughts of mass murder at the gloved hands of the veil mistress,” in which she depicted a black child appearing to die in a car accident.
According to an ABC source, West (who changed her name to Elizabeth Ballesteros West in October) was arrested in 1993 for allegedly placing a shotgun in her father’s mouth and pulling the trigger. The gun didn’t fire. West’s social media posts include memes and videos depicting violence against various races, promoting white supremacy, and threatening widespread violence in the community and workplace. There are frequent references to Hitler and other Nazi propaganda throughout.