Head of private security company: Anarchists, extremists used 'sophisticated' tactics to escalate unrest in Twin Cities

The head of an international private security company told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he employed dozens of former Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Green Berets and CIA agents to protect companies and assist the government during recent unrest in Minneapolis.

Michael Rozin, President of Rozin Security, said his team of former special operations forces members helped track the violence and also were involved in protecting key sites on the streets.

Rozin said, for the most part, the fires and gunshots during the worst three-day stretch of the unrest, May 28 through May 30, were connected to known anarchists and some extremist groups who traveled to the Twin Cities metro in the days after George Floyd's death.

"The anarchists, the extremist groups, were operating in an organized fashion," Rozin said. "They were operating in what almost appears to be an asymmetric warfare manner."

Rozin said the anarchists were communicating with one another in a "sophisticated manner" and were moving around Minneapolis and St. Paul where the peaceful protests were occurring.

"They were operating small cells, and they would move from one point to another point," Rozin said. "They would set up barricades, they would open fire, they will know how to control the cities in such a way that police almost become irrelevant to an extent. It was remarkable."

Rozin said the intent of the anarchists and extremists is not necessarily to induce race riots but rather to undermine the trust of the people with their government and they use whatever emotion is prevalent to exploit the situation and gather strength for their goals.

"They would shoot at law enforcement and were not necessarily shooting at peaceful protesters," Rozin said. "They were trying to incite the police to shoot back and quite possibly create another tragic situation that would cause even more rioting and violence."

When KSTP asked Rozin specifically which anarchist groups and which extremist groups were involved in the Twin Cities rioting and arson, he deferred to the federal government.

"I would rather not say, in my position, which groups by name were involved in this activity," Rozin said. "I think that is a question better answered by the FBI and the ATF."