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Investigators soon uncovered what they say was a carefully organized operation involving several individuals equipped with tactical gear and communication equipment.
According to prosecutors, the suspects attempted to draw ICE personnel outside the building before the shooting began.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy Larson detailed the events that unfolded leading up to the attack.
“We’re here to tell you that late at night on July 4th, Friday night at approximately 10.37pm at the Prairieland Ice Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, 10 to 12 individuals dressed in black military-style clothing began shooting fireworks and engaging in acts of vandalism at the facility,” Larson said at the time.
Investigators said the suspects set off fireworks and sprayed graffiti around the facility in an effort to provoke a response from ICE employees.
“The graffiti had such words as traitor, ice pig, and other profanity,” Larson said. “Then there was a 911 call from the facility. Two unarmed corrections officers went outside to speak with the vandals. One of the gunmen signaled using a flashlight to the vandals.”
Authorities say the attack escalated from vandalism into a coordinated assault once officers approached.
“The gunman — identified as longtime Antifa and John Brown Gun Club member Benjamin Song — who shot at officers was not with the vandals, but was instead positioned in a wooded area outside the facility. ‘Another assailant who was across the street, nowhere near the corrections officers, shot 20 to 30 rounds at these unarmed corrections officers,’ Larson told reporters.”
Following the shooting, police quickly moved in and arrested several suspects near the scene. Investigators discovered some were wearing body armor while others carried two-way radios used to coordinate movements during the operation.
Evidence collected during the investigation painted a picture of a politically motivated attack.
Authorities found a banner reading “resist fascism, fight oligarchy,” along with flyers declaring “fight ICE terror with class war,” and “free all political prisoners.”
Further searches carried out in the days after the incident uncovered additional weapons, protective gear, fireworks, spray paint, masks, goggles, and what prosecutors described as “insurrectionist material.”
In total, nine defendants were convicted following the trial. Those found guilty include Cameron Arnold, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada.
Eight defendants were convicted on multiple counts, including rioting, providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy involving explosives, and using explosives during a riot.
Benjamin Song received additional convictions for the most serious charges in the case.
Jurors found him guilty on three counts of attempted murder of U.S. officers and employees, along with three counts related to discharging a firearm during a violent crime.
Another defendant, Sanchez-Estrada, was convicted for attempting to conceal evidence linked to the case.
Prosecutors said he and co-defendant Rueda helped move a box of Antifa-related documents from his residence to Denton, Texas, in an effort to obstruct the federal investigation.
Despite the sweeping convictions, the jury did not find most of the defendants guilty on attempted murder charges, with Song being the primary individual convicted of those counts.
Federal prosecutors argued that the verdict demonstrates the seriousness of the attack and the organized nature of the group behind it.
“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. 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,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said following the verdicts.
Sentencing for the defendants is scheduled for June 2026.
Benjamin Song now faces the possibility of life in federal prison because of the attempted murder convictions. The remaining defendants could face sentences of up to 30 years if terrorism-related sentencing enhancements are applied.
The case may have far-reaching implications for how extremist political violence is prosecuted in the future, particularly when coordinated attacks target federal officers and government facilities.
