Federal prosecutors have now reportedly charged two Texas men with terrorism and multiple counts of attempted murder in connection with a July 4 shooting outside a federal detention center — the first terrorism case tied to individuals allegedly affiliated with antifa.
A federal grand jury in Dallas indicted Cameron Arnold of Dallas and Zachary Evetts of Waxahachie, accusing them of participating in a violent attack at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.
Both men face seven charges, including three counts of discharging a firearm during and in furtherance of a violent crime, three counts of attempted murder of federal officers, and one count of providing material support to terrorists.
According to prosecutors, the pair were part of what authorities described as “a North Texas Antifa Cell of at least eleven operatives, clad in black and donning masks, some of whom were wearing body armor and carrying firearms.”
The group allegedly set off fireworks outside the detention center — which houses federal immigration detainees — to draw security personnel out of the facility before opening fire.
Authorities say the chaos quickly escalated into an armed confrontation. When Alvarado Police officers arrived, a masked assailant in black clothing carrying a rifle opened fire, striking one officer in the neck. Investigators later identified the shooter as Arnold, who, prosecutors said, “continued firing until his rifle jammed” before fleeing the scene with the other “attackers.”
Federal investigators allege the assault was premeditated. The indictment states that the group’s intent “was to destroy U.S. government property and commit acts dangerous to human life intended to influence the policy of the U.S. government and affect government conduct by intimidation and coercion.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted images of the indictment on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, describing the attack as part of a broader pattern of politically motivated violence. “As @POTUS has made clear, Antifa is a left-wing terrorist organization,” Bondi wrote. “They will be prosecuted as such.”
The charges follow President Donald Trump’s executive order last month designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, arguing that the loosely organized movement uses “illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide.” The order claimed the group’s ultimate aim is to undermine and overthrow government institutions, particularly law enforcement.
Critics of the order contend that antifa functions more as an ideology than an organization, lacking a centralized structure or leadership. But federal officials maintain that individuals who act under its banner can still be held accountable for violent acts carried out in its name.
For years, antifa has operated largely under the radar of domestic terrorism laws, even as its members have been linked to destructive protests and violent confrontations across the country. The indictment in Texas marks a turning point — the first formal terrorism prosecution directed at alleged adherents of the movement.
If convicted, Arnold and Evetts face decades in federal prison. Their case underscores what administration officials describe as a long-overdue effort to treat left-wing political violence with the same seriousness traditionally reserved for extremist threats on the right.
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