Jonathan Turley - I recently wrote about the effort of leading politicians, pundits, and the press to deny the existence of Antifa as violence on the left rises around the country. Even Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) insisted that "nobody" knows what the left-wing terrorist organization Antifa is and that it does not exist. However, he previously promoted the "Antifa Handbook" in 2018 and praised the group as terrifying Trump. Rep. Dan Goldman (D., N.Y.) dared anyone to name a single member of Antifa. The Justice Department just named two in what is believed to be the first terrorism-related prosecution of Antifa members.
Federal prosecutors have charged two North Texas men, Cameron Arnold and Zachary Evetts, who are accused of helping orchestrate an attack on an ICE detention center in Alvarado. They are charged with providing material support to terrorists, attempted murder of officers and employees of the U.S., and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
On the night of July 4, several masked individuals dressed in black vandalized vehicles and security cameras in the ICE parking lot and then opened fire on an Alvarado police officer who approached them, seriously wounding one officer.
According to the indictment, Cameron Arnold yelled, "Get to the rifles," as police responded to the attack.
"Seconds later, coconspirator-1 [Arnold] opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado officer in the neck area as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover. The wounded officer fell to the ground but was able to return a few shots. Coconspirator-1 continued to fire additional rounds until his rifle jammed. The attackers then left the scene."
ICE found fliers bearing messages like, "FIGHT ICE TERROR WITH CLASS WAR!" and "FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS" at the scene.
The DOJ describes Antifa "as a militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to a revolutionary anarchist or autonomous Marxist ideology, which explicitly calls for the overthrow of the U.S. government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law."
As I discussed in my book, "The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage." Antifa is the most violent, anti-free speech group in the nation.
By design, Antifa avoids typical leadership hierarchies and organizational structures. Antifa was first created in the 1920s, associated with the Weimar-era German communist group Antifaschistische Aktion. It has always emphasized anonymity and secrecy to evade law enforcement in carrying out violent attacks.
The indictment details how this group used encryption systems to conceal their communication.
The group allegedly showed up with over 50 firearms that were purchased in Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Dallas, and other locations. That included numerous AR-platform rifles.
Former House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) was widely ridiculed for denying the existence of Antifa.
Others on the left have joined Goldman in this absurd claim. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel committed part of his monologue to assure viewers that Antifa is no more than a mythical "chupacabra." "You understand there is no Antifa," he said. "This is an entirely made-up organization."
Law enforcement officials like former FBI Director Christopher Wray have long debunked the deniers like Goldman. "Antifa is a real thing," said Wray.
I have testified about Antifa before Congress, run columns on the organization for over a decade, and wrote a book discussing Antifa. Nevertheless, I opposed declaring Antifa a terrorist organization due to free speech concerns, but I also know that it is very real.
The Administration clearly chose this case carefully for the first terrorism-related case. The level of concealment and coordination reinforces the view of an organizational identity and machine.
In the indictment, the government alleges that "Some Antifa Cell members discussed logistics, previous site reconnaissance, and locations of security cameras at the facility. They exchanged a map of Prarieland and the surrounding area that showed the locations of nearby police stations." One individual allegedly said that one of the groups would be "bringing a wagon to hold armor and rifles."
In the end, even if the terrorism-related charge fails, the remaining counts will be difficult to defeat as a whole, and the government only needs one or two counts to secure a lengthy prison sentence.