Nine individuals linked to the extremist group Antifa have been federally indicted for their roles in a violent riot at an immigration enforcement center in Ector County, Texas. The charges include conspiracy over destruction of government property and attempted murder of a law-enforcement officer.
The violence erupted in February when protesters stormed the secure facility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and triggered a confrontation between security personnel and demonstrators. During the melee, officers reported that one protester swung a steel pipe at an agent’s head, causing serious injury and prompting the attempted murder count.
Federal prosecutors allege the suspects coordinated the violent assault from behind the front lines, managing logistics, equipment and communications for the mob. A superseding indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas accuses multiple defendants of “providing substantial assistance” to the riot beyond peaceful protest.
The arrested range in age from 21 to 36 and face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Authorities say the case marks one of the most expansive domestic-terror prosecutions linked to anti-government activism in recent years.