FBI Director Kash Patel said the Bureau has made “significant headway” in discovering who is funding the Antifa movement and has begun arresting people accused of bankrolling political violence.
Patel explained that the FBI is using new powers that President Donald Trump created with his National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7).
The director discussed the matter during a recent appearance on The Dan Bongino Show where he said FBI agents are “looking at those who funded these streams” and “starting to arrest people who used their funds to incite violence in the guise of political peaceful protest.”
Patel stated that Antifa cells “don’t operate in silence,” but “with a heavy, heavy stream of funding.”
This @FBI is following the money.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) February 18, 2026
Whether it’s ANTIFA or any other violent criminal organization - we know their operations don’t exist alone, they operate with heavy funding streams.
We’re finding them and those who fund their criminal activity. @dbongino pic.twitter.com/37pAHATufA
Under NSPM-7, federal law enforcement was instructed to prioritize investigations into “domestic terrorism networks” connected to “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity” ideologies. The memo directs agencies to also look into opposition to immigration enforcement and “radical gender ideology.”
The FBI, Justice Department, Treasury Department, and IRS are directed to “disrupt financial networks that fund domestic terror and political violence” by investigating tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and the employees of foundations that prop up leftist activist groups.
I’ve been telling you for months—
— QThestorm (@17QStorm) October 13, 2025
The SOROS network and their NGOs funding ANTIFA and domestic terrorism are coming to an END.
FBI Director Kash Patel just confirmed they’re following the money.
Major investigations are now active into every single person, organization, and NGO… pic.twitter.com/YhOvpPllqX
The Trump administration has argued that leftist networks rely on complex funding streams. These include charitable foundations, crowdfunding campaigns, and pass-through entities. These organizations provide funding for travel, equipment, legal defense funds, and “direct actions” in major cities across the country, according to The Independent.
In North Texas, prosecutors say that a local cell staged a protest outside an ICE detention facility that escalated into vandalism and violent assaults. Those who participated in the protest were allegedly reimbursed for transportation, lodging, and protest materials from larger national networks.
Patel said the FBI is “following the money “ across domestic and international channels. He said agents unearthed critical funding streams and are pursuing charges including violent and financial crimes such as money laundering and violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Critics claim Trump’s memo could threaten Constitutionally-protected speech and association. Human Rights Watch and the Brennan Center argue that this approach could turn counterterrorism into weapons against political opposition instead of focusing on curbing political violence.