(José Niño, Headline USA) Last Friday, a group of ten individuals launched a coordinated, armed assault on the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.
As Headline USA recently reported, authorities say the attack—which included vandalism, fireworks, and gunfire—led to the arrest of eight individuals, some wearing body armor, and is being investigated as a coordinated assault on federal property.
The attackers, described as “heavily armed with military gear, guns, AR-15 style rifles, 12 sets of Kevlar bullet proof vests, masks, goggles, tactical gloves, two-way radios, and helmets,” also carried Faraday bags—devices that block wireless signals and can thwart law enforcement tracking efforts.
In the chaos, a police officer was shot in the neck but is expected to survive. Inside the suspects’ vehicles, authorities recovered a flag reading “Resist Fascism. Fight Oligarchy” and flyers stating “fight ICE terror with class war”— language that tends to be associated with the radical Left.
Check out the sophistication of the Antifa-linked terror cell members in Dallas-Fort Worth charged with attempted murder after opening fire on an ICE facility in Alvarado on July 4th. They were heavily armed with military gear, guns, AR-15 style rifles, 12 sets of Kevlar bullet… pic.twitter.com/fOpvMw4ZFn
— Elizabeth MacDonald (@LizMacDonaldFOX) July 8, 2025
The sophistication of the operation and the anti-ICE messaging quickly fueled online speculation about the group’s ideological ties. Elizabeth MacDonald, a Fox Business journalist, amplified these claims on social media, writing:
“Check out the sophistication of the Antifa-linked terror cell members in Dallas-Fort Worth charged with attempted murder after opening fire on an ICE facility in Alvarado on July 4th. They were heavily armed with military gear, guns, AR-15 style rifles, 12 sets of Kevlar bullet proof vests, masks, goggles, tactical gloves, two-way radios, and helmets. Also had Faraday bags that block all wireless signals from law enforcement trying to track them. Blocks all GPS signals, calls, texts or pings. Agent shot in neck expected to survive. ‘Resist Fascism. Fight Oligarchy’ flag and ‘fight ICE terror with class war’ flyers were in their cars.”
Despite the viral spread of the “Antifa-linked” label, a thorough review of federal charging documents, sworn affidavits, and official statements reveals no direct evidence connecting the suspects to Antifa at the moment. No court filings, Department of Justice press releases, or police statements mention Antifa or any formal antifascist group in relation to the defendants.
Instead, the charges focus on the violent conduct itself: three counts of attempted murder of a federal officer and three counts of discharging a firearm during a violent crime.
Authorities did recover anti-authoritarian slogans and left-wing revolutionary rhetoric among the group’s belongings.
However, none of Antifa’s distinctive symbols—such as the double-flag logo—were reported. Investigators have not cited any evidence of membership in, or communication with, known antifascist networks. The suspects’ coordination reportedly occurred online, but not through channels tied to established Antifa formations.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
