U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other federal law enforcement officers conducting immigration enforcement in Texas have been targeted in at least two ambushes in recent days, according to a report from the Justice Department.
The Justice Department announced on Monday that it had charged 10 individuals with attempted murder of a federal officer and discharging a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of a violent crime. The charges followed an ambush at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvar, Texas, on the Fourth of July, where an officer was shot in the neck.
According to the complaint, the group, dressed in black and military-style clothing, allegedly began shooting fireworks at the facility, which is used by the Department of Homeland Security to hold individuals related to immigration violations or awaiting deportation. The defendants, including Cameron Arnold and Elizabeth Soto, are also accused of spraying graffiti on vehicles and guard structures in the parking lot, with images of the messages "ICE pig" and "F— you pigs" appearing in the footage.
Immediately after the officer got out of his vehicle, one defendant allegedly shot the officer in the neck, and another assailant, wearing a green mask, fired 20 to 30 rounds at unarmed correctional officers. The shooting was captured by both CCTV and the officer’s body-worn camera. The FBI recovered AR-style rifles from the scene and found a total of twelve sets of body armor during searches of vehicles, persons, and the area around the Prairieland Detention Center.
The complaint also highlights the presence of anti-government propaganda, including fliers stating "FIGHT ICE TERROR WITH CLASS WAR!" and "FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS," as well as a flag that read "RESIST FASCISM – FIGHT OLIGARCHY." Gibson had two cell phones inside his backpack inside a "Faraday bag," which is used to block phone signals and commonly used by criminal actors to try to prevent law enforcement from tracking their location.
In a separate incident, an armed assailant, identified as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, fired at federal agents and a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, near the U.S.-Mexico border. Police say Mosqueda was linked to a Michigan address, but was reported missing from a Weslaco, Texas, address around 4 a.m. Monday. Weslaco is about 20 miles from the Border Patrol facility.
Before the attack, Mosqueda’s father had been stopped by Weslaco police for a traffic violation and reported that he was looking for his son, who he said had psychological issues and was carrying weapons in his car. The white two-door sedan that Mosqueda drove to the facility had letters painted—possibly in Latin—on the driver’s side door, though the meaning of the graffiti is unclear.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that the Justice Department is "closely monitoring the attacks on DHS detention facilities" and is "coordinating with the USAOs and our law enforcement partners." He also stated that the Department has "zero tolerance for assaults on federal officers or property and will bring the full weight of the law against those responsible."
The incidents occurred against the backdrop of an increase in assaults on ICE facilities, with nearly two dozen people being arrested in Oregon since June. These events reflect a broader pattern of resistance against immigration enforcement that has drawn increased attention and concern from federal authorities.