Washington, July 16 (AP) – A former US Marine Corps reservist has been detained and charged with attempted murder following an assault at a Texas immigration detention center, where a police officer suffered a gunshot wound to the neck, federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday.
Benjamin Hanil Song, aged 32 and from Dallas, is the latest individual to be charged in relation to the Fourth of July incident. During the attack, assailants clad in black military-style gear opened fire outside the Prairieland Detention Center, located in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, as reported by the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas.
Song was apprehended following a week-long manhunt and now faces three counts of attempted murder of federal agents, as well as three counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He stands accused of purchasing four firearms connected to the incident.
Records from the US District Court do not list attorneys for Song, nor do they provide information on scheduled court appearances. The US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas has not yet responded to an inquiry regarding Song's legal representation.
The injured officer has since been discharged from the hospital.
Ten individuals, mainly from the Dallas-Fort Worth region, have previously been charged with attempting to murder a federal officer and discharging firearms in relation to a violent crime. Another individual was charged with obstruction of justice for hiding evidence, while two others face charges of accessory after the fact for allegedly aiding Song's escape.
If found guilty, most of the defendants could face life imprisonment, although those charged with obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact would likely face more lenient penalties, as stated by federal prosecutors.
The shooting occurred amid a period of increased deportations under President Donald Trump's administration.
The assailants reportedly used fireworks and spray-painted vehicles and a guard structure with phrases like “Ice Pig” to draw correctional officers out of the facility, according to a criminal complaint.
Correctional officers alerted 911, and an Alvarado police officer was met with gunfire originating from individuals concealed in nearby woods.
Additionally, someone from across the street unleashed 20 to 30 bullets at unarmed correctional officers who emerged from the facility, per the statement.
The group fled, but sheriff's deputies intercepted seven individuals approximately 300 yards (275 meters) from the shooting site.
“They were dressed in black military-style attire, some wore body armor, were coated in mud, armed, and carrying radios,” stated the complaint.
A detective from the sheriff’s office stopped a van leaving the vicinity and uncovered two AR-style rifles, a pistol, ballistic vests, and a helmet inside it.
The van's driver, the sole occupant, admitted he had been at the detention center, having met individuals online who he then transported from Dallas to the site to “make some noise,” according to the complaint.
Data from Song's cellphone indicates its proximity to the detention center from approximately 11:30 p.m. on July 4, persisting throughout July 5.
“Although Song managed to evade arrest by hiding overnight post-attack, we were confident he couldn’t elude capture for long,” Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Nancy E. Larson, remarked.
“The fourteen individuals orchestrating and executing these despicable acts face prosecution, and we anticipate swift justice.” (AP) PY PY
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