A Texas federal jury has issued guilty verdicts against nine individuals connected to a North Texas Antifa group, representing the first-time terrorism charges have been successfully pursued against this extremist faction in the United States.
The case is rooted in a coordinated assault on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Alvarado, Texas, that unfolded last year.
The confrontation began when local police responded to reports of a suspicious person armed outside the facility during the late evening of July 4. Upon approaching the individual, officers encountered gunfire from multiple attackers, resulting in one officer being injured.
The officer was promptly airlifted to a Fort Worth hospital and later released. Subsequently, authorities arrested several suspects who were implicated in the attack, which involved disabling security cameras and trying to draw officers away from the facility.
Charges were filed against nearly a dozen individuals tied to this well-planned attack aimed at harming ICE agents. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Nancy Larson, detailed the incident, revealing that at approximately 10:37 PM, a group in black military-style attire began firing fireworks and committing acts of vandalism at the detention center.
Prior to the violence, the group reportedly used fireworks and graffiti to bait employees of ICE into coming outside the building.
Larson noted that some graffiti included incendiary terms aimed at ICE personnel. After a 911 call from the facility, two unarmed corrections officers were lured outside to confront the vandals, during which one of the gunman communicated with them through flashlight signals.
The shooter, identified as Benjamin Song, a member of both Antifa and the John Brown Gun Club, was positioned away from the vandals when he opened fire. Another accomplice also fired dozens of rounds at the unarmed officers.
Law enforcement later apprehended seven suspects, some equipped with body armor, while others had two-way radios in their possession. Investigators also discovered a flag proclaiming anti-fascism and other materials promoting insurrection.
Additional searches over the weekend turned up masks, tactical gear, and a stockpile of firearms, along with riot-related assets, according to prosecutors.
The convicted defendants include Cameron Arnold, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada. Eight received guilty verdicts for multiple offenses, including rioting and providing material support to terrorists.
Additionally, Song was found guilty on three counts of attempting to murder U.S. officers, alongside several firearms-related charges.
Sanchez-Estrada was convicted for concealing documents as part of an effort to obstruct the investigation, which involved transporting Antifa-related materials. Most defendants were acquitted of attempted murder except for Song.
Texas Antifa gunman Benjamin Song’s bail is set at $15 million — the highest ever in U.S. history for a captured Antifa violent suspect. He’s accused of being one of the ringleaders in the shooting ambush on ICE where an officer was shot in the neck. https://t.co/1PpxyvabZX pic.twitter.com/FZdyk4dWm8
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) July 21, 2025
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould emphasized that these guilty verdicts underscore the severe nature of the planned armed assault against law enforcement on July 4, particularly highlighting the stark difference between the defendants’ violent actions and legitimate protest.
Sentencing for the convicted individuals is slated for June 2026, with Song potentially facing life imprisonment, while the others may receive up to 30 years under terrorism enhancements.
