A federal grand jury has indicted nine members of a North Texas Antifa cell, with seven additional individuals charged by information, for their involvement in a violent and coordinated attack on the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, on July 4, 2025. The attack targeted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities and included rioting, firearms, explosives, and assaults on law enforcement personnel.
The twelve-count indictment charges Cameron Arnold (aka Autumn Hill), Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris (aka Meagan Morris), Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada with offenses including riot with intent to commit violence, attempted murder of correctional officers and a local police officer, conspiracy to use and carry explosives, and providing material support to terrorists.
Seven additional defendants were charged separately with providing material support to terrorists. Guilty plea hearings for several of these individuals are scheduled in the coming weeks. The defendants are Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, John Thomas, and Seth Sikes.
Federal authorities allege the Antifa cell operated as part of a militant network committed to overthrowing U.S. law enforcement and government authority. In preparation for the Prairieland attack, cell members acquired over 50 firearms in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, conducted reconnaissance of the detention center, and coordinated via encrypted messaging apps with auto-delete functions. They also distributed anti-government propaganda and “zines” to recruit and train participants.
On the night of the attack, at least eleven members dressed in “black bloc” clothing, concealing their identities, engaged in vandalism, set off fireworks, slashed tires, spray-painted property, and fired weapons at law enforcement. During the incident, an Alvarado police officer was struck in the neck, and correctional officers at the facility were forced to take cover. Benjamin Song, considered a leader of the group, allegedly directed the armed assault.
Additional allegations include Daniel Sanchez-Estrada attempting to conceal documents and materials related to the attack, and Maricela Rueda conspiring to hide evidence implicating her in the riot and shootings.
If convicted, Song, Arnold, Evetts, Morris, and Rueda face a minimum of ten years and up to life in federal prison. Batten, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto could receive ten to fifty years. Sanchez-Estrada faces up to 20 years per count, while those charged with providing material support to terrorists face up to fifteen years.
“This is the first indictment in the nation against a violent Antifa cell,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “The charges address the coordinated, dangerous attack on law enforcement officers and federal facilities and demonstrate our commitment to holding domestic terrorist organizations accountable.”
“The updated charges underscore the seriousness of the July 4 attack and reflect the collaborative effort of federal, state, and local agencies to ensure justice,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), ATF, Texas Department of Public Safety, Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto and Shawn Smith are prosecuting the case.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
