The streets of suburban Minneapolis just got a very loud reminder that law enforcement is done playing games. During a tense anti-ICE protest Monday night in Maple Grove, Minnesota State Patrol officers rolled out a piece of equipment most Americans only associate with war zones, the long-range acoustic device, better known as the LRAD.
Protesters had gathered outside a SpringHill Suites hotel where they believed federal immigration agents were staying. After days of unrest and a refusal to comply with repeated orders to disperse, state troopers warned the crowd they were prepared to use the LRAD. Officers even gave a countdown, which should have been a pretty clear hint that this was no normal megaphone.
The LRAD is a military-grade crowd control system originally designed for combat environments. It can project voice commands over long distances with frightening clarity or emit a focused, piercing sound intended to disrupt and disorient. Experts have warned that close-range exposure can cause permanent hearing damage, nausea, balance problems, panic reactions, and ruptured eardrums. One Marine colonel described it bluntly, saying that if you are in the cone, it feels like the voice of God is talking directly to you.
State patrol officials later said the device’s volume was checked and that no deterrent tones or sirens were actually activated, despite dramatic claims flying around online. Even so, the mere presence of the LRAD sent a clear message. The confrontation ended with 26 arrests for unlawful assembly and riotous conduct, proving once again that yelling slogans does not magically override the law.
The protest followed the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti over the weekend and unfolded as federal immigration leadership in Minnesota remains in flux. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and several agents are reportedly expected to leave the state under intense political pressure. Authorities said it was unclear whether any federal agents were even staying at the hotel targeted by protesters, which makes the whole scene feel even more unhinged.
Officials emphasized that while peaceful protest is protected, property damage and violence are not. That distinction seems lost on activists who believe blocking roads, damaging property, and surrounding buildings is somehow sacred speech.
The LRAD has also drawn attention because of recent speculation surrounding so-called sonic weapons. President Trump recently referenced advanced capabilities following the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, saying the United States has weapons nobody else knows about. Reports from that operation included claims of intense sound waves that incapacitated enemy personnel and shut down systems before U.S. forces moved in.
To be clear, the LRAD is not some secret superweapon. It is a known, non-lethal tool designed to avoid pepper spray, tear gas, or worse. But its appearance on Minnesota streets should serve as a wake-up call. When protests turn into riots, authorities escalate. That is not oppression. That is cause and effect.