DALLAS — Five individuals pleaded guilty Wednesday to terrorism-related charges after being accused of supporting antifa in a July shooting that wounded a police officer outside a Texas immigration detention center.
The Justice Department brought the charges following President Trump’s order designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. The President has blamed this decentralized movement for various instances of political violence.
According to FBI Director Kash Patel, this is the first instance where federal charges for material support to terrorism have specifically targeted antifa. The shooting incident took place on July 4 near the Prairieland Detention Center, where prosecutors allege an antifa cell executed an attack involving gunfire and explosives aimed at the facility.
Antifa, short for “anti-fascists,” refers to a collection of left-leaning militant groups that challenge neo-Nazis and white supremacists during protests.
Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Seth Sikes, Lynette Sharp, and John Thomas each entered guilty pleas in federal court in Fort Worth, and they could face up to 15 years imprisonment upon sentencing.
Sharp’s attorney remarked that this plea is merely an initial step in a lengthy legal process involving sentencing determinations. Ongoing cases against other individuals charged in the shooting are still active, with court documents revealing that an alleged group member shouted “get to the rifles” before opening fire, striking an officer.
The shooting marks a particularly tense moment amid the Trump administration’s increased deportations. Shortly after this incident, another attacker opened fire at federal agents near the U.S.-Mexico border, highlighting the fraught atmosphere regarding immigration enforcement.
