Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Belongs to the Birds Again

The last anti-government militants have surrendered the federal buildings they held for nearly a month.

By Aaron Mesh

The standoff at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is over.

The final holdouts have surrendered to the FBI at the federal bird sanctuary, 41 days after anti-government militant Ammon Bundy led a takeover of the refuge's empty headquarters.

The end of the standoff comes after a tense night and morning of negotiations with the last four militants holding the Malheur refuge—much of them broadcast over YouTube. David Fry, a troubled 27-year-old from Ohio, was the last to surrender at about 11 am today.

The dramatic final negotiations with Fry, conducted partly by right-wing sympathizers, included him asking for pizza, complaining about not being allowed to smoke marijuana at the refuge, discussing Jesus and UFOs, and asking the FBI agents to say "Hallelujah!" before he would surrender.

They said "Hallejulah." Fry gave himself up.

The center of the case now shifts to Portland, the likely venue for a criminal trial of Bundy and his cohorts—including his father, Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, whom the FBI arrested at Portland International Airport last night.

Cliven, Ammon and Ryan Bundy are all being held in Multnomah County Jail.

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