Antifa Members Face First-Ever Terrorism Charges From DOJ
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment this week that accuses two Antifa-aligned suspects of a coordinated, violent attack on a federal detention site in Texas on July 4th. The indictment names Cameron Arnold and Zachary Evetts and ties them to a broader cell that allegedly ambushed federal officers at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. This case has already drawn attention for the severity of the charges and the alleged tactics used by the attackers.
The document, filed Wednesday and unsealed Thursday, charges Arnold and Evetts with providing material support for terrorism, attempting to murder federal officers, and discharging firearms during the attacks. Prosecutors say fireworks were used as a diversion while assailants vandalized government vehicles and opened fire when officers confronted them. The indictment describes a planned operation, not a spontaneous protest gone wrong.
FBI Director Kash Patel put the development bluntly, and his exact words have circulated widely. “For the first time ever, the FBI has arrested anarchist violent extremists and charged these Antifa-aligned individuals with material support to terrorism,” he said. “This was a planned and coordinated terrorist attack on the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, where armed extremists tried to murder U.S. officers on July 4th.”
Patel continued in the same statement, emphasizing operational changes and enforcement pace under new authorities. “We are executing under President Trump’s new authorities at record speed,” he said. “To date, the FBI has made over 20 arrests tied to this case and related Antifa networks. No one gets to harm law enforcement. Not on our watch.”
The indictment details the moment the confrontation turned deadly and preserves key alleged dialogue from the scene. According to prosecutors, as officers approached, Arnold yelled, “Get to the rifles!” then actions escalated into shots fired and a wounded officer. The account paints a picture of an organized attack with weapons and a clear intent to target federal personnel.
The filing includes a specific passage describing the shooting and its aftermath, and it reads in part as follows. “Seconds later, coconspirator-1 [Arnold] opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado officer in the neck area as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover. The wounded officer fell to the ground but was able to return a few shots. Coconspirator-1 continued to fire additional rounds until his rifle jammed. The attackers then left the scene,” the indictment read.
Federal officials stress this is not a routine criminal complaint but a terrorism prosecution that could set a precedent for how violent anarchist networks are pursued. The defendants now face federal counts that carry significant prison exposure and signal a tougher posture toward politically motivated street violence. Specifically, Arnold and Evetts are facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the named counts.
The timing of the charges intersects with broader policy moves inside Washington that Republicans have championed as necessary to confront domestic extremism. The charges come weeks after President Trump designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, a move supporters lauded as providing clearer authorities to pursue violent actors. For conservative lawmakers and law enforcement allies, the indictment is proof the policy is producing results.
Local and federal investigators say the case remains active and that additional arrests tied to the network could follow as authorities piece together communications, travel, and logistics tied to the July 4th operation. Prosecutors are presenting their evidence to a grand jury and preparing for trial work that will test how courts treat politically motivated violence under terror statutes. For the moment, the federal government is treating this as a terrorism case first and a protest incident second.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
