FBI arrests leader of armed militia that performed 'citizen's arrest' on migrants in New Mexico

The FBI has arrested the 69-year-old leader of the United Constitutional Patriots, an armed militia group in Sunland Park, New Mexico, that has spent the past couple of months patrolling the southern border for migrants trying to enter the U.S.

On Friday, authorities took Larry Hopkins into custody on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a news release. The FBI said it found firearms during a visit to his home in 2017 while investigating allegations of "militia extremist activity," Reuters reported.

Hopkins, who's also known as Johnny Horton Jr., appeared Monday in a Las Cruces courtroom. His attorney, Kelly O'Connell, told Reuters that Hopkins would plead not guilty to the charges.

O'Connell pointed out that the charges were unrelated to the UCP's border patrol efforts, which have made recent headlines.

"This is not even dealing with what's going on right here," O'Connell said.

What's the story from 2017?

Witnesses accused Hopkins' group of planning to assassinate former president Barack Obama, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and George Soros, according to the complaint, Reuters reported.

The federal agency said it had information at the time that that 20-member group was armed with weapons, including AK-47 rifles.

During its 2017 investigation of the claims, FBI agents recovered nine firearms from Hopkins' Flora Vista, New Mexico, home.

Hopkins had at least one prior felony conviction, which prevents him from possessing firearms or ammunition, according to the FBI. In 2006, he was convicted for impersonating a peace officer and felony possession of a firearm. Ten years earlier, he was convicted on a firearms charge.

Hopkins claimed that the weapons were owned by his common-law wife, according to the complaint.

What else?

UCP claims it has stopped thousands of migrants trying to enter the U.S. before turning them over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Its members are armed and wear camouflage uniforms while on patrol along the border.

Sunland Park sits along the southern border near the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, just west of El Paso, Texas.