DOJ Brings First-Ever Terrorism Charges Against Antifa Operatives After Violent Attack on ICE Officers

For the first time in American history, the Department of Justice has brought terrorism charges against two alleged Antifa members following a violent July 4th assault on Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers near Dallas, Texas.

The indictment, unsealed Thursday in federal court, accuses Cameron Arnold and Zachary Evetts of providing material support for terrorism, attempting to murder federal officers, and discharging firearms during attempted murders.

According to prosecutors, the two men — allegedly part of a North Texas Antifa cell — joined as many as nine other militants late on the night of July 4th. Dressed in black military-style gear and body armor, the group began launching fireworks and opening fire at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.

When an Alvarado police officer arrived, someone in the group allegedly shot him in the neck. Antifa members then turned their weapons toward unarmed ICE officers, firing dozens of rounds, the indictment states.

In a remarkable acknowledgment, the DOJ described Antifa as “a militant enterprise made up of individuals and small groups primarily subscribing to a revolutionary anarchist or autonomous Marxist ideology, which explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government.”

Investigators revealed the group had amassed over 50 firearms and carried out extensive pre-attack planning, including reconnaissance, surveillance of security cameras, and encrypted communications containing maps and tactical information. One of the suspects allegedly wrote in a group chat:

“I’m done with peaceful protests.”
“Blue lives don’t matter.”

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi commended the charges, posting:

“Antifa is a left-wing terrorist organization. They will be prosecuted as such.”

FBI Director Kash Patel echoed the sentiment, celebrating the arrests:

“First time ever: the FBI arrested Antifa-aligned anarchist violent extremists and terrorism charges have been brought for the July 4 Prairieland ICE attack in Texas.”
“Under President Trump’s new authorities we’ve made 20+ arrests. No one gets to harm law enforcement. Not on my watch.”

These charges come just weeks after President Donald J. Trump, in his second term, formally designated Antifa as a terrorist organization, vowing to dismantle the network of funders and agitators behind its operations.

On Truth Social, President Trump reaffirmed his commitment:

“I am also strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices.”

Antifa’s violent legacy dates back to the riots of 2020 in Portland, Seattle, and Minneapolis — when cities burned, small businesses were destroyed, and law enforcement officers were attacked, all under the banner of so-called “anti-fascism.”

Now, under a President determined to restore law and order, the federal government has finally taken its first decisive step toward treating Antifa not as a protest movement — but as the domestic terrorist organization it has long proven itself to be.