A shocking attack on federal officers has ignited fierce debate over political rhetoric and its consequences. The incident, marked by violence and alleged attempts to conceal evidence, underscores the growing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement.

Summary

• On July 4, 2025, ten individuals ambushed ICE officers at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, injuring a police officer.
• Maricela Rueda, a key suspect, allegedly urged her husband to hide anti-Trump materials after the attack.
• Her husband, Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada, a former DACA recipient, faces charges for tampering with evidence.
• The FBI is seeking a 12th suspect, Benjamin Hanil Song, a former Marine reservist, with a $25,000 reward offered.
• The Trump administration vows zero tolerance for attacks on federal officers.

A Violent Independence Day Ambush

On July 4, a group of ten individuals, dressed in black military-style clothing, executed a planned ambush at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. 

Using fireworks and vandalism to lure ICE officers, the group opened fire, wounding an Alvarado police officer in the neck. Acting U.S. 

Attorney Nancy Larson described it as “a planned ambush with the intent to kill ICE corrections officers.” 

The Justice Department has charged the suspects, including Maricela Rueda, with attempted murder of federal officers.

Cover-Up Allegations Surface

Maricela Rueda, one of the charged attackers, allegedly made a jailhouse call urging her husband, Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada, to conceal anti-Trump and anti-government materials, including flyers reading “War in the Streets.” 

According to reports, Rueda allegedly called her husband, and directed him to tow her car from their Dallas home, which investigators believe was a staging location for the attack.

Authorities claimed she instructed her husband to do “whatever you need to do, move whatever you need to move at the house.”  

Sanchez-Estrada, a former DACA recipient who received a green card under the Biden administration, now faces charges of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. “This was a coordinated effort to evade justice,” said a federal source close to the investigation.

Escalating Tensions and a Fugitive

The attack is part of a broader surge in violence against ICE and Border Patrol agents, with assaults up 700% this year, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

The FBI is now hunting Benjamin Hanil Song, a 32-year-old former Marine reservist, charged with six counts related to the ambush. 

“Song’s involvement shows how dangerous these organized groups can be,” said Fox News correspondent Jonathan Hunt.

A Call for Accountability

President Trump condemned the attack, linking it to lax border policies. 

“Many of them are criminals… no checking, no vetting,” he said, referencing the 21 million illegal crossings under prior administrations. 

The incident has fueled calls for stronger law enforcement protections, with conservatives warning that inflammatory rhetoric from the left is inciting violence.