‘Fanatic’ Eludes Agents; Enters Cult Grounds

Risking possible gunfire from either federal agents or Branch Davidians, a man described as a “religious fanatic” sprinted past a small army of heavily armed officers and into the cult’s armed compound, the FBI said Thursday.

Louis Anthony Alaniz, 24, of Houston, stunned federal agents and cult members alike when he was spotted dashing across the yard of the 77-acre compound early Wednesday evening, FBI Agent Bob Ricks said at a news conference.

Ricks declined to explain how Alaniz managed to elude numerous checkpoints, tanks, personnel carriers and 400 federal officers surrounding the 77-acre compound--all under orders to watch for people trying to sneak in or out of the place.

“I’m not going to tell you the route,” he said. “Obviously, it’s much easier to control people coming out of the compound than perhaps someone who is zealously trying to get inside.”

Alaniz arrived at the compound unscathed, knocked on the front door and was let inside by cult members, who have been under siege since U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents tried to serve arrest and search warrants for weapons violations on Feb. 28. Four agents and an unknown number of cult members died during that raid.

Ricks said Thursday that when Alaniz knocked on the door, the cult’s “initial reaction was that it was an FBI undercover agent trying to infiltrate the complex. Their response was shock that here was this person knocking on their door.”

Federal agents did not fire at Alaniz because he was unarmed. They also ruled out using physical force to stop him because that would have necessitated having federal officers get out of armored personnel carriers and expose themselves to potential gun fire, Ricks said.

While Alaniz’s motive was unclear, he is not believed to be a member of the cult or a follower of its leader, 33-year-old self-proclaimed messiah David Koresh, Ricks said.

“He was described as a religious fanatic by his own mother and is there in search of whatever truths Mr. Koresh might be able to impart to him,” Ricks said. “He thought it was a center of action that perhaps involved biblical prophecies and he could be a participant in that.”

On Thursday, FBI negotiators in telephone contact with cult members pleaded for Alaniz’s release arguing, “it is not his fight,” Ricks said.

“He may be released shortly, once he gets certain indoctrinations from Mr. Koresh,” Ricks said.

Meanwhile, exasperated federal authorities were no closer to resolving the confrontation with 78 adults and 17 children still holed up inside the compound. The agents continued to use high-intensity lights, amplified Tibetan chants, Christmas carols and reveille blared from nearby loudspeakers to increase pressure on the cult members.

Barricaded cult members may have enough food, water and other provisions to last a year or more, according to authorities who have interviewed the 21 children, nine women and five men who have emerged from the compound over the past four weeks.