A wave of cell tower fires swept through San Antonio in 2021 and 2022, and Wired takes a deep dive into the investigation that ultimately led to the arrest of a young arsonist fueled by internet conspiracy theories. Behind them was Sean Aaron Smith, a 27-year-old once indifferent to politics but drawn into a world of fringe beliefs during the pandemic. Smith, who grew up in difficult circumstances and cycled in and out of prison, became convinced by online posts and podcasts—most notably a Joe Rogan clip—that 5G technology was part of a "globalist plot to control or zombify humanity," writes Brendan I. Koerner.
As Smith's beliefs hardened, he and his girlfriend, Coley Lane Dupre, began "gifting" towers with homemade orgonite crystals, hoping to ward off 5G radiation. But Smith soon escalated to arson, setting fire to 22 cell towers over the course of a year. He used disguises and studied his targets to avoid capture, all the while growing more committed to his cause. Authorities, initially slow to connect the dots, eventually identified Smith through DNA evidence and the help of an acquaintance. He was arrested in May 2022, after his location was tracked via the same cell towers he targeted.
Smith pleaded guilty to arson charges and was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison—a lighter sentence than prosecutors sought, though he remains unrepentant about his anti-5G views. He now spends his time reading and studying in prison, reflecting on his path to radicalization but still critical of technology's growing role in society. Read the full story, framed in the context of the steady rise of violence carried out by radicalized lone actors.
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