In some great if still gut-wrenching news out of Texas, the FBI Dallas Field Office announced that it has arrested the former Marine Corps reservist who is accused of opening fire on ICE agents outside of an ICE detention center for illegal aliens in Texas. The reservist is accused of acting as part of a large group that opened fire on ICE and police officers.
Beginning the press release in which it announced the arrest of the former reservist, the Dallas field office noted that he was the twelfth suspected assailant arrested in connection with the attack, and that he was connected with the shooting at ICE officers and wounding of an Alvarado police officer who was working in the vicinity of the Prairieland Detention Center.
Continuing, the press release described when the attack occurred and who the detained reservist is, noting, “According to a criminal complaint filed today, Benjamin Hanil Song, a former United States Marine Corps reservist, joined ten others in an organized attack against officers at the Prairieland Detention Center just after 10:30 p.m., Friday, July 4.”
Building on that, the FBI described how the radical group set up the ambush, noting, “The complaint alleges that group was dressed in black military style clothing. The group began shooting fireworks towards the detention center. Some then sprayed graffiti on vehicles and a guard structure in the parking lot at the facility.”
Then, describing the results of that planned ambush, the FBI described how they ambushed an officer who responded to the suspicious activity, saying, “Correctional officers called 911 to report suspicious activity. An Alvarado police officer responded to the scene and, upon exiting his vehicle, the officer was shot in the neck by a defendant positioned in nearby woods. Another alleged assailant across the street fired 20 to 30 rounds at unarmed correctional officers who had stepped outside the facility.”
Turning to the weapons used during the attack, the FBI noted that Song not only purchased the two AR-15 style rifles found at the scene, but also another AR-15 that was in the back of the van driven for the group the night of the attack, and a pistol carried by one of the other members of the alleged group who was arrested by the FBI as well.
Noting what Song has been charged with after he fired at the ICE agents outside the facility, the FBI then provided, “Song has been charged by federal complaint with three counts of attempted murder of federal agents and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.”
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The DOJ’s Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson, praising law enforcement for how quickly it responded to the attack and arrested Song, said, “The swift response of nearly 70 law enforcement officers to the site of the shooting hemmed in several of the attackers.”
Continuing, the US Attorney said, “The quick action and professionalism of our state and local law enforcement officers in the immediate aftermath of the shooting resulted in the prompt capture of ten of the assailants. Though Song escaped the scene by hiding overnight, he will be relentlessly pursued until he is in custody.”
Watch Tom Homan sound off on the attack on the facility here:
Featured image credit: FBI Dallas Field Office