FORT WORTH (CN) - Four people pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges stemming from an Independence Day attack on a Texas immigration detention facility that left a local police officer shot in the neck.
Accused shooter Brandon Song, 32, of Dallas, and three co-defendants entered their pleas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cureton, who set their trial for Jan. 5.
The four defendants made their appearance shackled and in orange and white jumpsuits, flanked by their attorneys. Approximately two dozen friends and relatives attended in the gallery, and Song flashed a quick smile to his supporters as he was led away by U.S. marshals.
Approximately 18 people have been charged in federal and state court after the attack on the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, 30 miles south of Fort Worth. Prosecutors claim 10-12 people wearing black clothing started shooting fireworks at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility at 10:49 p.m., with people breaking off to spray paint "Ice pig" and "Fuck you pigs" on cars and structures.
Correctional officers called 911 for Alvarado police seven minutes later and two unarmed correctional officers reportedly walked to the fence line to talk to the protesters.
"Immediately after the APD officer got out of his vehicle, an assailant in the woods opened fire, shooting the APD officer in the neck area," prosecutors say in a July 7 indictment. "The assailant in the green mask, standing near the woods on Sunflower Lane, then also opened fire at the unarmed DHS correctional officers. In total, the assailants shot approximately 20 to 30 rounds at the correctional officers."
The wounded officer survived the shooting and was later released from the hospital.
The first federal indictment came down July 7 against Cameron Arnold, Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto and Ines Soto along with Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson and Seth Sikes. The initial 10 defendants face three counts of attempted murder of a federal officer and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence.
A 12-count federal indictment filed Nov. 13 accuses Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto and Daniel Sanchez-Estrada of being "North Texas Antifa Cell" operatives who looked up to Song as a leader.
"As alleged, Song acquired firearms that he distributed to co-defendants and recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions he conducted, as well as from various ideologically aligned groups," the Justice Department said in a statement Nov. 14. "For example, defendants Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, and Savanna Batten are alleged to have been part of a group that created and distributed insurrectionary materials called 'zines.'"
Baumann, Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp and John Thomas also face one count each of providing material support to terrorists.
If convicted, Song, Arnold, Evetts, Morris and Rueda face between 10 years and life in federal prison. Batten, Elizabeth Soto and Ines Soto face between 10 and 50 years in federal prison, Estrada faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
Baumann, Gibson, Sharp, Sikes and Thomas pleaded guilty on Nov. 19 to the material support count. They face up to 15 years in federal prison and await sentencing.
The Prairieland attack was the third attack on a Texas ICE facility within three months. Authorities say Ryan Mosqueda, 27, was shot and killed by police after he opened fire on a Border Patrol facility in McAllen on July 7. A police officer was injured while responding to the shooting.
A shooter opened fire on a Dallas ICE field office on Sept. 24, killing two detainees before he killed himself. No ICE employees were injured during that attack. Federal officials claim Joshua Jahn, 29, of Fairview, shot from an elevated position on a rooftop and had bullet casings inscribed with "ANTI-ICE."
The Justice Department claims the defendants are antifa supporters. Short for anti-facist, antifa is considered a decentralized movement of activist groups who oppose racism, fascism and far-right extremism.
President Donald Trump designated antifa a domestic terrorist organization on Sept. 22, though no official organization exists.
Source: Courthouse News Service
