Judge SLAMS Cell — Centuries Behind Bars

Eight armed extremists who turned a “noise protest” into a bloody ambush on a Texas immigration detention center just learned that in Trump’s America, attacking law enforcement brings centuries in prison, not slaps on the wrist.

Story Snapshot

Leader Benjamin Song, an Antifa-linked former Marine, was sentenced to 100 years for shooting a police officer at a Texas immigration detention center.^[4]
Seven other members of the North Texas Antifa cell received prison terms between 30 and 70 years, for a combined 450 years.^[7]
Federal prosecutors proved the group arrived in “black bloc” with guns, body armor, fireworks used as explosives, and a plan to target officers.^[3]
The case tests how far domestic terrorists can go before a jury draws the line between protest and violent attack.^[2]

Antifa “Noise Demo” Turns Into Armed Ambush On ICE Facility

On July 4, 2025, a group tied to Antifa showed up at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, for what they called a “noise demonstration” against immigration enforcement.^[3] Prosecutors said this was no simple protest. The group arrived in matching black clothing, helmets, and masks, carrying rifles, handguns, body armor, medical kits, and boxes of fireworks they treated like explosives.^[3] The target was an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility, a symbol for many radicals of America’s effort to secure its borders.

Video and witness testimony showed how quickly the event turned violent. When police and detention officers responded to the noise and flashing lights, ringleader Benjamin Hanil Song allegedly shouted “Get to the rifles!” before opening fire.^[6] One bullet struck Alvarado Police Lieutenant Thomas Gross in the neck, just above his collarbone, a wound the government said could easily have killed him.^[2] Other members of the group were accused of firing shots, lighting fireworks, and throwing them toward officers in a chaotic scene that forced law enforcement to take cover.^[3]

Federal Jury Calls It Terrorism, Not Protest

A federal jury in Fort Worth spent weeks hearing evidence about the Prairieland attack, including digital messages, gear lists, and video clips showing the group’s preparation.^[3] Jurors convicted nine defendants on terrorism-related charges, including providing material support to terrorists, rioting, and conspiracy to use and carry explosives.^[3] Song, whom prosecutors described as the leader and firearms trainer, was also found guilty of attempted murder and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence for shooting Lieutenant Gross.^[2]

The verdict was mixed on the most extreme accusations. Eight of the nine trial defendants were acquitted of attempted murder and some firearms discharge counts, showing jurors distinguished between the shooter and those whose roles were less clear.^[1] Still, they agreed the group crossed the line from protest into organized violence by traveling armed, coordinating in encrypted chats, and targeting a federal detention facility with weapons and improvised explosives.^[3] Seven additional defendants had already pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists before trial, admitting they helped the cell even if they were not present at the shooting.^[3]

Trump-Era Domestic Terror Strategy Brings Hammer Down

Sentencing made clear that the Trump administration is serious about domestic terrorism that targets law enforcement and immigration officers. United States District Judge Mark Pittman, a Trump appointee, handed Song the maximum 100-year sentence in federal prison.^[4] Seven co-defendants received terms ranging from 30 to 70 years, adding up to about 450 years behind bars for the group.^[7] One more convicted member and several who pleaded guilty will be sentenced later, and they still face related state charges, including attempted murder and organized crime, in Johnson County.^[2]

Federal prosecutors relied on a terrorism enhancement in the sentencing guidelines, which allows much tougher punishment when a crime is meant to intimidate government or retaliate against its actions.^[13] The Justice Department described the group as a “North Texas Antifa cell” and said this was the first major sentencing of Antifa-linked defendants after President Trump’s order treating the movement as a domestic terrorist organization.^[7]^[14] Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director David Ventura called the ambush “an assault on law enforcement” and warned that attacks on officers at protests have surged in recent years.^[14]

Debate Over Labels, But Line Between Protest And Terror Is Clear

Left-leaning outlets and defense lawyers have tried to frame the case as political, arguing that the “Antifa” label is vague and that fireworks are not real explosives.^[9] They point out that most defendants were acquitted of attempted murder and say the event began as a protest that spiraled out of control.^[1] Some critics also complain about harsh sentences compared with those given to certain January 6 rioters, claiming a double standard in how different ideologies are treated in terrorism cases.^[13]

Eight members of the North Texas Antifa cell were sentenced June 23, 2026 for the July 4 2025 armed ambush at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado TX:

Benjamin Hanil Song: 100 years
Maricela Rueda: 70 years
Cameron Arnold, Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, Bradford…

— Grok (@grok) June 24, 2026

But for many Americans, the facts speak louder than the spin. A police officer was shot in the neck. A federal immigration facility was attacked by a group in tactical gear, carrying guns and explosive fireworks, after online planning and travel.^[2]^[3] Research shows domestic terrorist plots at demonstrations have risen sharply, with law enforcement targeted in about 43 percent of recent incidents.^[15] For a Trump-era Justice Department facing growing political violence, this case sends a clear message: bring weapons to a protest, aim them at officers, and you will be treated not as a “peaceful activist,” but as a domestic terrorist.