The U.S. Justice Department has announced charges against 15 individuals accused of participating in a coordinated effort to obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. The indictment, recently unsealed, details allegations of intimidation, harassment, property destruction, and violence against federal officers. The charges target members and associates of Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN), a Minneapolis-based organization that federal authorities say is linked to local Antifa and anarchist groups.
"As alleged, these defendants, which included members of Antifa groups, engaged in an unrelenting campaign of harassment and violence targeting federal and local law enforcement. Their actions created a dangerous environment that threatened not only their intended targets, but the community as a whole." — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Statement
Federal prosecutors contend that DAMN operated as a highly organized network, prioritizing the disruption of federal immigration enforcement activities over traditional protest. The indictment encompasses a range of charges, including conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers, interstate stalking, interstate threats, solicitation to commit crimes of violence, assaults on federal officers, and destruction of government property.
During coordinated enforcement actions, federal authorities arrested 12 suspects. Two additional defendants remain at large, while one individual was already in federal custody on unrelated charges. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a statement describing the alleged conduct as a sustained campaign specifically targeting law enforcement personnel.
"As alleged, these defendants, which included members of Antifa groups, engaged in an unrelenting campaign of harassment and violence targeting federal and local law enforcement," Blanche stated. He further added, "Their actions created a dangerous environment that threatened not only their intended targets, but the community as a whole."
According to prosecutors, members of the organization allegedly engaged in training for confrontations and utilized encrypted communication networks, such as Signal chat groups, to coordinate their activities. These communications reportedly allowed participants to track federal agents, monitor government vehicles, and organize rapid responses when ICE operations were identified.
Investigators detailed the group's alleged tactical development, which included "hard blockades" and "soft blockades." Hard blockades reportedly involved using vehicles, trailers, and physical obstacles to block roads and impede federal officers' access to facilities. Soft blockades, conversely, allegedly relied on shield formations and coordinated resistance tactics to obstruct officers on foot. These methods were reportedly employed to disrupt operations at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis earlier this year.
The indictment also describes what members allegedly referred to as "commuting" operations. These activities, according to investigators, involved following federal immigration officers from government facilities to private locations and monitoring their movements. In one specific incident cited in court documents, a defendant is accused of ramming a government vehicle driven by a federal officer after tracking him from a federal facility.
The alleged network's reach extended beyond Minnesota, with the indictment indicating that members traveled to cities including Chicago, Ann Arbor, and Seattle. These trips were reportedly part of an "Anarchist Speaking Tour," during which prosecutors allege members trained activists in tactics designed to obstruct immigration enforcement operations and disrupt federal law enforcement activities.
The Justice Department also identified alleged connections between Direct Action Minnesota and the Black Cat Worker’s Collective, described as a Minneapolis-based Antifa affinity group. Federal investigators stated that Antifa-related materials were recovered from at least one defendant during an earlier arrest.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin commended the arrests, issuing a warning that attacks on law enforcement officers would be prosecuted. Federal officials have stressed that this case focuses squarely on alleged criminal conduct, clearly distinguishing it from peaceful protest activity protected by the Constitution. All charges remain allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
