HAYDEN, Idaho – A new film about a local FBI agent’s battle against a notorious domestic terrorist group is now playing in theaters.
The movie, starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, focuses on the dismantling of “The Order,” a white supremacy group that emerged from the Aryan Nations in the 1980s.
Wayne Manis, a retired FBI agent who still resides in Hayden, played a crucial role in the investigation. He discovered “The Order” while looking into the Aryan Nations.
“And in the course of looking into that, I discovered a terrorist group operating in the northwest, and they were called ‘The Order,’” Manis said.
The Aryan Nations, once headquartered in Hayden, Idaho, drew over a hundred white supremacists annually.
Robert Mathews, a former member, founded “The Order” after breaking away from the Aryan Nations.
Manis explained the group’s intentions, stating, “Basically what they intended to do was create such chaos in this country that they could make a demand that Congress turn over five western states to them.”
To fund their activities, “The Order” committed several crimes.
“They committed three armored car robberies, multiple bank robberies, and counterfeit operations,” Manis said.
The group also assassinated Jewish radio host Alan Berg in Denver.
Initially, Manis investigated alone, but the FBI soon realized he needed assistance.
“It didn’t take long until the FBI realized that I needed more help. So they sent 27 more agents from the hostage rescue team in to help with the investigation,” he said.
A significant break in the case came when a lead pointed to the group.
“They robbed the truck of $3.6 million and they managed to get away,” he stated.
However, a pistol left behind led agents to a location in Idaho, which eventually directed them to Whidbey Island.
On Whidbey Island, agents found three safe houses. They were filled with weapons and body armor.
Mathews had prepared a threatening letter to Congress, which ended with a chilling message: “to the members of Congress – we don’t care if you swung to the left or you swung to the right, we’ll simply swing you by the neck,” Manis recounted.
The FBI’s SWAT team moved in, and some members of “The Order” surrendered, but Mathews refused.
Despite attempts at hostage negotiations, Mathews remained defiant.
“Come in and throw a sound grenade through the window,” Manis recalled, but it was unsuccessful.
Mathews opened fire on Manis and later on a helicopter. Eventually, a flare ignited the house, leading to its collapse and Mathews’ death.
“He had made the ultimate sacrifice. He believed in his cause, and he was never going to surrender,” Manis said.
The group members were later convicted and sent to prison.
Manis’ book, “The Street Agent,” details his experiences, including investigations into another terrorist group, “The Weather Underground.”
Manis said the film, ‘The Order’ is good, but contains some sensationalized scenes.
His book is available for those interested in more detailed accounts of his investigations.
