Thursday, September 11, 2025

Question: What 1989 Colorado incident represented the first instance in U.S. history of one government agency raiding another?

Answer: The Rocky Flats Raid took place on June 6, 1989, when the FBI and EPA raided the Denver-area nuclear weapons plant, then operated by Rockwell International for the U.S. Department of Energy, over violations of environmental law.

The raid led to the formation of Colorado’s first-ever special grand jury, which investigated the case for nearly two years. Although the grand jury recommended indictments, the Department of Justice declined to prosecute. Rockwell accepted an $18.5 million plea deal in 1992.