The purpose of this work is to frame Operation Backfire as a terrorism countermeasure and assess what made it effective at dismantling the Family and altering the landscape for actors associated with the REM. Making extensive use of original data (i.e., the Institute for the Study of Violent Groups and the Global Terrorism Database), court documentation related to each of the 18 indictments, and interviews with two key investigators, we examine the concept of eco-terrorism, how to measure counterterrorism effectiveness, resource allocation in inter-agency settings, and deterrence. Our qualitative approach focuses on the characteristics and factors that made the investigation effective.