ICE Detention Center Attack Leader Sentenced To 100 Years As Eight Defendants Receive Decades In Prison

Eight individuals convicted in connection with a July 4, 2025, attack on an ICE detention facility in Texas were sentenced Tuesday, with the alleged ringleader receiving a 100-year prison term for what prosecutors described as a coordinated domestic terror plot.

The defendants were found guilty in March after a lengthy federal trial centered on the attack against the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, south of Fort Worth. The case drew national attention as prosecutors argued the group carried out a politically motivated assault inspired by anti-police and anti-ICE extremism.

Federal prosecutors said Benjamin Song, identified as the leader of the operation, received the harshest punishment — 100 years behind bars. Maricela Rueda was sentenced to 70 years in prison.

Autumn Hill, Zachary Evetts, Savanna Batten, Meagan Morris and Elizabeth Soto each received 50-year sentences, while Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada was sentenced to 30 years.

According to evidence presented at trial, members of the group allegedly spent months planning the attack before targeting the detention center with fireworks and acts of vandalism intended to lure law enforcement officers into an ambush. Prosecutors said gunfire was then directed at responding officers, leaving one officer wounded after being struck in the neck. The officer survived.

The nine defendants who stood trial faced a combined 65 federal charges, including attempted murder, terrorism-related offenses and weapons violations.

The case unfolded amid a broader national debate over antifa and political violence. In September 2025, the Trump administration formally designated antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. The designation itself did not create new criminal penalties but instructed federal agencies to devote additional resources toward investigating crimes linked to antifa-related activity.

Supporters of the defendants argued the government exaggerated the incident and unfairly portrayed anti-ICE protesters as terrorists. Defense advocates contended the defendants were participating in demonstrations against immigration enforcement and accused prosecutors of using the case to make a political statement.

Federal prosecutors rejected that characterization, arguing the evidence showed a deliberate and organized attack designed to injure law enforcement officers responding to the scene.

More over at CBS News:

Leader of group convicted in antifa-inspired attack on Texas ICE facility handed 100-year prison sentence. https://t.co/7k41JDJ7IJ

— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 23, 2026