Eight sentenced to 450 years in prison over anti-ICE riot where officer was shot
A Texas court has handed down a total of 450 years in prison to eight individuals with alleged ties to Antifa for their roles in a riot outside an immigration detention center, during which a police officer was shot.
The US Department of Justice announced that eight people linked to the Antifa movement have been collectively sentenced to 450 years in prison for participating in a riot at an immigration detention facility in Texas. A former US Marine Corps reservist received a 100-year sentence for attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. The other sentences range from 30 to 70 years.
The incident occurred on July 4 last year when the defendants, according to prosecutors, shot and threw fireworks at the PrairieLand facility south of Dallas, and vandalized vehicles and a guard booth. The sentences were handed down after a 12-day trial that began on February 23. The defendants were convicted on multiple charges, including rioting, use of weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, and obstruction of justice.
The judge called the actions "an assault on democracy." Families condemned the length of the sentences. Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in a press release that "Antifa terrorists who attack law enforcement and federal facilities will face swift and uncompromising justice."
A ninth defendant, Ines Soto, will be sentenced on July 1. Seven other individuals involved in the incident pleaded guilty before trial to one count of providing material support to terrorists and will also be sentenced on July 1.
The defendants have denied any affiliation with Antifa and said they attended the demonstration to support detained immigrants. The DOJ described the North Texas Antifa Cell as part of a larger militant enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the US government and law enforcement authorities.
