Federal authorities have arrested eleven individuals in connection with a violent and premeditated assault on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, on Independence Day. Prosecutors say the group intended to murder federal officers in a coordinated ambush.
According to law enforcement, the suspects—dressed in black, military-style clothing and wearing masks—launched fireworks and vandalized property at the Prairieland ICE detention center late Friday night. The attack reportedly involved disabling security cameras and torching vehicles in the parking lot, tactics that officials believe were used to lure law enforcement into a kill zone.
One Alvarado police officer was shot in the neck during the chaos and is expected to recover.
“This was not a protest. It was a planned ambush with the intent to kill ICE corrections officers,” said acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson in a Monday press conference. “Make no mistake—this was an act of domestic terrorism against federal officers.”
Ten of the suspects have been charged with three counts of attempted murder of a federal officer and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a violent crime. Each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, and up to life in prison. An eleventh suspect is being charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy after allegedly attempting to destroy evidence related to the attack.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche commented shortly after the incident, stating, “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 incident has drawn renewed attention to escalating hostility toward law enforcement officers tasked with enforcing immigration law. Federal officials confirmed the Department of Homeland Security is increasing security at detention facilities across the country following similar threats reported in Portland, Oregon.
The July 4th attack came just as ICE operations have ramped up nationwide under President Trump’s expanded enforcement directive targeting sanctuary cities and criminal illegal aliens.
Federal prosecutors emphasized the seriousness of the charges and signaled that more arrests may follow as the investigation continues.