A federal jury in Fort Worth convicted nine members of Antifa last week for their roles in a violent attack on the Prairieland U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center in Alvarado on July 4, 2025. The verdict came after a 12-day trial that began on February 23, resulting in convictions on charges ranging from rioting to providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to use and carry explosives.
The defendants—Cameron Arnold, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada—were accused of coordinating a planned, armed attack on the detention center. Benjamin Song, identified as the group’s apparent leader, was convicted of attempted murder of a federal officer and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Song faces a minimum sentence of 20 years, with the possibility of life imprisonment. Other members of the group face sentences ranging from 10 to 60 years. Sanchez-Estrada, convicted of concealing documents, faces a maximum of 40 years in prison.
Seven additional defendants had pleaded guilty last year to providing material support to terrorists, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
“These guilty verdicts and convictions rightly reflect the vicious, armed attack that these Antifa cell members planned and executed against law enforcement and detention center officers on the night of July 4 last year,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas in a press release. “Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from some peaceful protest or First Amendment expression. We will continue in this mission to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.”
The trial included testimony from more than 45 witnesses, who detailed the group’s planning and operations. An expert witness described Antifa tactics as “obstructing [f]ederal law through organized riots, violent assaults, and armed confrontations with law enforcement officers, increasingly targeting agents and facilities related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s [ICE] in opposition to the agency’s deportation actions.”
Evidence presented at trial showed that Song acquired firearms and distributed them to other group members while recruiting participants at gun ranges and combat training sessions. On the night of the attack, the defendants, wearing dark clothing and face coverings, arrived at the ICE detention center equipped with firearms, body armor, and first aid kits containing materials to treat gunshot wounds. They vandalized vehicles, set off fireworks, and targeted a guard shack.
When Alvarado police responded to a 9-1-1 call, Song was heard on bodycam footage yelling, “Get to the rifles!” Officers were fired upon, and one was struck in the neck. While many members were arrested at the scene, Song evaded capture until July 15. Four co-defendants who had pleaded guilty cooperated in the trial, providing testimony about the planning leading up to the attack.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi commented in the press release, “Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization that has been allowed to flourish in Democrat-led cities — not under President Trump. [The] verdict on terrorism charges will not be the last as the Trump administration systematically dismantles Antifa and finally halts their violence on America’s streets.”
