A federal jury has convicted nine members of a North Texas Antifa cell for their roles in a violent ambush attack on a Prairieland ICE Detention Facility in Alvarado.
What Joe Biden once famously brushed off as just "an idea, not an organization” has now been exposed in open court following a ruthless, coordinated, terrorism-related attack on law enforcement.
The assault, which took place on the Fourth of July, involved fireworks deployed as weapons, rampant property destruction, gunfire, and the attempted murder of a police officer.
The jury delivered a mixed but decisive verdict on the charges stemming from the ambush. All nine defendants were convicted on multiple counts, with eight—including Benjamin Song—found guilty of providing material support to terrorists, rioting, conspiring to use and carry explosives, and using explosives.
Song was additionally found guilty of attempted murder for opening fire on Alvarado Police Lt. Thomas Gross, wounding the officer in the neck.
The group as a whole was held accountable for the coordinated violence. It marks a historic application of terrorism-related statutes to alleged Antifa operatives.
Guess that makes them more than just an idea, Joe.
ANTIFA ON TRIAL: Nine convicted in North Texas ICE facility attack, with Benjamin Song found guilty of attempted murder for shooting a police lieutenant. Eight others convicted of providing material support to terrorists. FBI Director Kash Patel: 'If you attack federal law…
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 13, 2026
These convictions have finally delivered the accountability for a very real—and very tangible—terrorism-related group that conservatives have demanded for years.
Patel touted the convictions and warned that any network promoting, aiding, or abetting Antifa will be pursued.
"The guilty verdicts in today’s case go to show this FBI’s 24/7 commitment to identifying, locating, and dismantling ANTIFA members and their networks," he told Fox News Digital.
"If you attack federal law enforcement, this FBI will use every resource at our disposal to hunt you down."
🚨🚨 BREAKING: A federal jury just convicted nine violent extremists for the July 4 attack on an ICE detention center in Texas. They ambushed law enforcement, shot an officer in the neck, and thought they’d get away with it.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 13, 2026
Today justice prevailed. Terrorists who target our…
Attorney General Pam Bondi also lauded the jury's decision and predicted more convictions of Antifa terrorists down the line.
“Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization that has been allowed to flourish in Democrat-led cities — not under President Trump,” she said in a statement. “Today’s verdict on terrorism charges will not be the last as the Trump administration systematically dismantles Antifa and finally halts their violence on America’s streets.”
President Trump issued an executive order in September designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization and laying the groundwork for the verdict on Friday.
A White House fact sheet declares:
- The Order notes that Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that calls for the overthrow of the U.S. government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law—using illegal means, including violence and terrorism, to accomplish these goals.
- The Order directs the Federal government to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle all illegal operations conducted by Antifa or any person claiming to act on behalf of Antifa. It also calls for investigating, disrupting, and dismantling the funding sources behind such operations.
Biden, in a 2020 presidential debate, declared Antifa "is an idea, not an organization, not militias."
SEPT 2020
— Joni Job (@jj_talking) September 27, 2025
TRUMP: . . . when a bat hits you over the head, that’s not an idea. Antifa is bad.
BIDEN: Everybody in your Administration. . .
TRUMP: Antifa is bad.
BIDEN: Everybody in your Administration tells you the truth, has a bad idea. You have no idea . . . .
TRUMP: You… pic.twitter.com/TWwhMV02Tt
Trump countered, "Well, ideas don't assault cops, and they don't burn down buildings. Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization."
Song faces a minimum penalty of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison. Another member, Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada, faces 40 years. The seven others each face a sentence ranging from 10 to 60 years in federal prison.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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