Eight individuals prosecutors linked to a North Texas Antifa cell were sentenced to a combined 450 years in prison on June 23 for their parts in an anti-ICE riot where an officer was shot, the US Department of Justice announced. Benjamin Hanil Song, identified as the group’s leader and a former Marine Corps reservist, received a 100-year term after his conviction for the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer during the July 4, 2025, incident at the Prairieland Detention Center south of Dallas. The Justice Department described the event as a coordinated assault involving fireworks launched at the facility and a responding Alvarado police officer wounded in the neck.
The Justice Department detailed sentences of 70 years for Maricela Rueda, 50 years each for Cameron Arnold, also known as Autumn Hill, Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, Bradford Morris, also known as Meagan Morris, and Elizabeth Soto, along with 30 years for Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada. A ninth defendant, Ines Soto, faces sentencing on July 1 together with seven others who pleaded guilty before trial to providing material support to terrorists. The department’s assessment placed the North Texas Antifa Cell within a network of groups advocating the overthrow of the US government, law enforcement and the legal system.
Convictions covered rioting, use of weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists and obstruction, according to the Justice Department, which noted that the case represents the first major sentencing of Antifa affiliates since President Donald Trump designated the movement a domestic terrorist organization via executive order in September 2025. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a department statement, “The sentences handed down today make clear that Antifa terrorists who attack law enforcement and federal facilities will face swift and uncompromising justice.” A federal judge termed the actions an assault on democracy in remarks cited by the department.
Song stated in a written submission that he fired because he believed the officer was preparing to shoot a protester, a claim his mother, Hope Song, disputed while asserting he had no intent to harm anyone, the Associated Press reported. Democracy Now reported that defense attorney Xavier de Janon described the Antifa element as purely political and indicated plans to appeal the verdicts, which followed a March trial viewed as a test of the government’s use of terrorism statutes against activists. The Intercept reported that while some participants carried firearms legally under Texas law, Song used an AR-15 with a modified trigger, though he was acquitted on certain counts involving attempts on correctional officers.
The trial drew scrutiny as a benchmark for the Trump administration’s approach to far-left activism, NBC News reported, with supporters condemning the punishments as unduly harsh for what some attendees characterized as a noise demonstration intended to highlight conditions for detained immigrants. Courthouse News Service coverage noted that the Prairieland facility had experienced fewer disruptions than other ICE sites, such as those in Portland where a separate anti-ICE case resulted in a 30-month sentence for aggravated assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, according to ABC News. The defendants denied Antifa affiliation throughout proceedings, maintaining they attended to support immigrants held at the center.
Critics have argued that the Antifa designation targets an ideology rather than an organized entity with formal membership, a perspective reflected in multiple outlets’ reporting on the case. The Justice Department announcement came one day before the current date and emphasized that the sentences were issued less than one year after the Independence Day incident. Seven additional individuals who entered guilty pleas will receive their sentences at the July hearing alongside the remaining defendant.
