11 Suspects Accused in 'Planned Ambush' at Alvarado Texas ICE Detention Center

By Alfred Charles and Timia Cobb

Source The Dallas Morning News

Federal law enforcement officials on Monday said 11 suspects are facing criminal indictment in connection with a July Fourth holiday attack at an ICE detention center in Alvarado.

Nancy Larson, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said during an afternoon news conference that 10 of the suspects each have been charged with three counts of attempted murder of a federal officer, along with three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

Larson said the 10 people are all facing a prison term of between 10 years and up to life.

Larson said an 11th person, who was not named, has been charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy for attempting to conceal and destroy evidence. That man is facing a prison sentence of up to 10 years, according to Larson.

“It was a planned ambush with the attempt to kill ICE correction officers,” Larson said during a brief news conference in which officials declined to take questions. “Make no mistake: This was not a so-called peaceful protest.”

A group of 10 to 12 people— all wearing black, military-style clothing — targeted the Prairieland ICE detention center, located in the 1200 block of Sunflower Lane in Johnson County, at 10:37 p.m. Friday, according to a federal criminal complaint filed in the Northern District court.

The city of Alvarado is roughly 25 miles south of Fort Worth.

The group shot fireworks toward the Prairieland detention center, graffitied nearby cars and damaged a vehicle and a guard structure in the parking lot, according to the complaint.

The suspects ignited the fireworks in an effort to draw corrections workers outside the secure facility.

“And it worked,” Larson said, describing what sounded like a well-coordinated attack on the facility and its employees.

As two unarmed correctional employees went outside to talk to the group, an Alvarado police officer arrived at the scene.

The officer was shot in the neck by one of the suspects who stood in the wooded area near the detention center, according to the complaint. The officer suffered a non-life-threatening injury during the incident, officials said.

Then the person in the woods opened fire on the officers, according to the complaint. It was estimated in the complaint that 20 to 30 rounds were fired.

All of the suspects fled, leaving a jammed AK-47-style rifle behind, officials said.

Officers later arrested seven people almost a mile away from where the Alvarado police officer was shot, according to the complaint.

Another man with the group was arrested by a Johnson County sheriff’s office detective, according to the complaint. As the detective was on their way to the detention center, they spotted a Hyundai fleeing and conducted a traffic stop.

The man driving the car had a pistol and, when asked by the detective if there were more weapons in the car, revealed there was an AR-15 in the back, according to the complaint.

The man admitted in the complaint that he had been at the detention center with a group of people he met online. The man had driven the group from Dallas to the detention center in order to “make some noise,” according to the complaint.

Larson said a search turned up 12 sets of body armor along with a flag that said “fight oligarchy” and “resist fascism,” spray paint and flyers printed with anti-government messages.

Additional weapons, including AR-15 rifles, magazines, body armor and radios were confiscated, according to the complaint.

Ten people were arrested in connection with the shooting at the detention center. They each face charges of attempted murder of federal agents and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The group includes:

Cameron Arnold of Dallas
Savannah Batten of Fort Worth
Nathan Baumann of College Station
Zachary Evetts of Waxahachie
Joy Gibson of Dallas
Bradford Morris of Dallas
Maricela Rueda of Fort Worth
Seth Sikes of Kennedale
Elizabeth Soto of Fort Worth
Ines Soto of Fort Worth

The 11th person was arrested under a different complaint. They were charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy for attempting to conceal and destroy evidence, Larson said.

Officials said 70 law enforcement officers responded to the call for help after the Alvarado officer, who was not immediately identified, was shot.

Staff writer Aarón Torres contributed to this report.

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