First Antifa-linked terror case filed in US

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Federal prosecutors have filed the first criminal case in the US linked to the Antifa movement, charging two men in North Texas with organizing a violent July 4 attack on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Alvarado.

According to the US Department of Justice, Cameron Arnold and Zachary Evetts face federal charges of providing material support to terrorists, attempted murder of US officers and employees, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime, CBS News reported.

Prosecutors said the group plotted the assault on the Prairieland ICE detention facility, arriving masked and armed on the night of July 4.

The attackers vandalized vehicles and security cameras before opening fire on a responding police officer, who was struck in the neck and later hospitalized. He was treated and released.

The indictment describes Antifa as “a militant enterprise” of individuals and small groups that adhere to anarchist or Marxist ideologies seeking to overthrow US law enforcement and government systems. Authorities claim Arnold trained others in close-quarters combat, built and distributed AR-style rifles — including one with a binary trigger for rapid fire — and coordinated with Evetts through encrypted messaging apps.

Investigators said more than 50 firearms linked to the group were bought in Fort Worth, Grand Prairie and Dallas. A federal judge has ordered both men and six others connected to the case to remain in custody.

Defense attorneys argued that holding “anti-government beliefs” or supporting “antifa thinking” is not a crime, saying their clients thought they were joining a protest and did not plan or carry out the shooting.

FBI Director Kash Patel also commented on the US social media company X’s platform, saying: “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 (Donald) Trump’s new authorities we’ve made 20+ arrests. No one gets to harm law enforcement. Not on my watch,” he added.

Last month, Trump announced that he was designating Antifa as a major terrorist organization, calling it “a dangerous, radical left disaster” and urging investigations into its alleged funders.

The move came after the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which Trump and allies linked to left-wing extremists.