Majority of Defendants Expected to Enter ‘Not Guilty’ Pleas December 3, Refusing Early Plea Offer of Up To 15 Years in Prison
DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX — Twelve people were federally charged late last week in connection with the immigrant solidarity demonstration at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center on July 4, 2025. The new indictment and charges, including rioting, attempted murder, and material support for terrorism, came as a majority of defendants are expected to plead not guilty on December 3. Notably, federal prosecutors are offering early plea deals with recommended sentences of up to 15 years in prison.
A number of defendants could plead guilty in the coming days as a result of pressure by the federal government. The terms of the plea agreements have not been made public, but some defendants are refusing to cooperate against their codefendants. Historically, in politically motivated cases, defendants who take federal plea deals that involve cooperating with the government against their codefendants have not necessarily received more lenient sentences, and may not lessen the potential legal harm stemming from their corresponding State cases.
“The prosecution is grasping at straws,” said National Lawyers Guild member Kris Hermes. “Plea deals offered this early show the government is desperate for a quick conviction that fits their nonsense ‘Antifa’ narrative. This case is a shoddy attempt to terrorize the movement in solidarity with immigrants, but it’s not going to work.”
The defendants who were federally charged last week were added to the case of Autumn Hill and Zachary Evetts, who were federally indicted last month. US District Court Judge Mark Pittman granted the government’s motion earlier in November to designate the Prairieland case as “complex”, thereby delaying the trials of Hill and Evetts, which were scheduled to start later this month. Another defendant, Daniel Sanchez-Estrada was previously indicted separately and has now been added to this case, and his trial has been delayed from early December, as originally scheduled. It’s now unclear when Hill, Evetts, Sanchez-Estrada, and the other defendants will go to trial.
The Prairieland case has been hailed by the Trump administration as the first legal case against Antifa. FBI director Kash Patel called the defendants “Antifa-aligned anarchist violent extremists,” sharing Fox News coverage of the case on X. On September 25, the White House released the National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7), which ordered all federal law enforcement agencies to prioritize combating “Antifa” as a domestic terrorism threat.
The latest indictments come just weeks after criminal charges were filed against Johnson County Sheriff Adam King, whose office is working with the federal government to prosecute the Prairieland defendants. Supporters of the defendants call into question the credibility and integrity of King and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. “I’m just worried about the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office respecting defendants’ rights and following the law,” said Irina Popova, a member of the DFW Support Committee. King is facing four felony charges, including aggravated perjury, corrupt influence, and abuse of official capacity, casting doubt about the veracity of the Prairieland case.
The new charges have been devastating for not only the defendants but also their families and loved ones. “It was really heartbreaking to see my sister is facing eleven of the twelve total charges. We all want her to come home,” said Diana Rueda-Muñoz, sister of Maricela Rueda. “But she’s strong, and we stand with her as she fights these outrageous charges.”
In addition to the federal charges, a total of fifteen defendants were also indicted last month on state charges, including aggravated assault, engaging in organized criminal activity, and hindering the prosecution of terrorism. The concurrent state and federal charges are forcing some defendants to defend themselves in two separate but related cases, with testimony and evidence from one potentially impacting and prejudicing the other.
The various cases stem from a noise demonstration in solidarity with ICE detainees at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, on July 4, 2025. Toward the end of the demonstration, an officer with the Alvarado Police Department arrived and allegedly quickly became involved in an exchange of gunfire with someone else on the scene. The officer sustained minor injuries, and was released from the hospital shortly afterwards. Ten people were arrested at the scene or shortly after, and a manhunt ensued in the subsequent days for another defendant. Eight more defendants were arrested in the days and weeks following the protest.
Relevant Federal Case Numbers
4:25-mj-00451-BJ (Sanchez-Estrada)
4:25-mj-00452-BJ (Initial 10 arrested)
4:25-mj-00468-BJ (Song)
4:25-mj-00479-BP (Sharp and Thomas)
4:25-mj-00495-BJ (Morgan)
4:25-cr-259-P (Hill, Evetts et al.)
4:25-cr-00272-O (Sikes)
4:25-cr-00282-P (Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas)
CONTACT: DFW Support Committee