Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging fifteen individuals connected to Minneapolis-based Antifa groups with conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers during violent opposition to immigration enforcement operations. The charges represent one of the most significant federal actions against organized militant activism since President Trump designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization in 2025.
Mass Arrests Follow Violent Resistance Campaign
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen announced the charges during a Minneapolis press conference alongside Homeland Security Investigations officials. Twelve defendants were arrested Tuesday during coordinated raids by HSI agents, while one suspect was already in custody on unrelated charges and two others remain fugitives. The charges include conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers, solicitation to commit crimes of violence, interstate threats, interstate stalking, assault on federal officers, and destruction of government property.
Among those arrested is Kyle Wagner, a 37-year-old who calls himself the “Antifa General.” Federal agents apprehended Wagner in February during a pre-dawn raid after he posted social media videos urging followers to “hunt,” “cripple,” and “prosecute at the barrel of a gun” Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officers. Multiple defendants are reportedly connected to Direct Action Minnesota, an activist organization involved in anti-ICE protests and general strike coordination.
Operation Metro Surge Sparked Violent Opposition
The charges stem from militant resistance to Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale immigration enforcement initiative launched in December by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE targeting the Twin Cities region. The operation focused on arresting criminal illegal aliens including gang members, sex offenders, and domestic abusers. Federal authorities reported thousands of arrests of individuals with serious criminal histories throughout the metropolitan area.
The enforcement operation faced near-daily violent protests outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, which housed ICE headquarters. Demonstrators engaged in tactics associated with black bloc militant action, throwing objects and fireworks, blocking vehicles, and creating physical confrontations with law enforcement. Two activists, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, died in separate confrontations during the protests. Federal prosecutors are now pursuing charges under enhanced legal authorities provided by the 2025 executive order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
What This Means
The indictment marks a significant escalation in federal prosecution of organized resistance to immigration enforcement. The charges carry substantial prison time and represent the Justice Department’s use of expanded tools to target material support for groups designated as domestic terrorist organizations. Federal officials indicated additional details from the unsealed indictment, including specific allegations against each defendant, will be released as court proceedings advance.