First 'Antifa-related' terror charge: DOJ indicts 2 in Alvarado ICE facility attack

Antifa-related terrorism charge for ICE facility attack

The Department of Justice has charged two suspects in the July 4th Alvarado ICE facility shooting with terrorism-related counts, which the FBI director is characterizing as the first-ever Antifa-related terrorism prosecution.

ALVARADO, Texas - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged two suspects involved in the 4th of July shooting at an ICE facility in Alvarado.

The FBI director is calling it the first Antifa-related terrorism charge after an executive order by the president. President Trump recently designated Antifa as a terrorist organization on September 22, 2025.

There is nothing out of the ordinary with the charges themselves, but the Trump administration is focusing on the fact that, in their words, this crime was Antifa-related.

Antifa Terrorism charges filed

What we know:

FBI Director Kash Patel dubbed the charges for the 4th of July ICE attack in Alvarado as the "first time ever". Calling it the first time the DOJ has prosecuted someone for Antifa-related terrorism charges.

The indictment was unsealed on Thursday. The ambush-style attack happened on the 4th of July at an ICE facility in Alvarado, just south of Arlington. Two people are named in the indictment and charged with providing material to support terrorism, attempted murder of a federal and assisting officer and discharging firearms during attempted murders.

An Alvarado police officer was shot in the neck during the incident. The officer survived.

Legal expert weighs in

Local perspective:

FOX 4 spoke to former Assistant U.S. Attorney, John Helms, who said these terrorist charges would be the charge, regardless of if these people were in a designated terrorist organization.

"I think the FBI director and the Justice Department have been trying to make it seem like somehow this prosecution relates to that designation, and it doesn't," said Helms.

"I want people to understand that this was not a situation where the government has searched out and found people who are members of Antifa and are prosecuting them because they're members of Antifa. These people are being prosecuted because of the ambush in the late-night hours on July 4th on a federal facility that resulted in them shooting at people and shooting a law enforcement officer in the neck."

These charges come a few weeks after President Trump signed an executive order classifying Antifa as a terrorist organization. Helms said these charges would have been brought by the DOJ regardless of what party the president is in.

"This prosecution has been going on for months. The indictment just came out, but all the charges and all the tools have been around for years. So that seems to me like an attempt to score political points rather than just prosecuting a case that, of course, deserves to be prosecuted and needs to be prosecuted," said Helms.