Thank you to The Bronx and Queens for choosing me to be your Congresswoman.
I never thought serving in Congress would ever be a reality.
It is the honor of my life to fight for working families and everyday people.
Pa’lante,
Alexandria 
Our work is only possible because of your grassroots support.
Thank you for standing with us.
Hochul, Schumer, and Jeffries Refuse to Disown the Socialists Now Running their Party
NYGOP Chair Ed Cox issued the following statement in response to the congressional primary victories of Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier and former DSA member and Mamdani-endorsed Brad Lander:
"The Democratic Party of New York has been captured by a movement that is fundamentally hostile to free enterprise, American institutions and the values upon which our nation was founded. The DSA isn't just a faction within the Democratic Party anymore — it IS the Democratic Party in New York, and Kathy Hochul, Chuck Schumer, and Hakeem Jeffries are too weak to stop them and too afraid to condemn them.
"This is a group that has hosted rallies for Hamas, wants boys competing in girls' sports and views the free market and nuclear family as things to be dismantled.
"Democrats next door in New Jersey nominated for Congress Adam Hamawy, a man who served as a character witness for the Blind Sheikh, the terrorist behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six Americans and injured over a thousand more. That a major party would put this man's name on a ballot is morally abhorrent and speaks volumes about where the modern Democratic Party's priorities lie.
"Every single day Kathy Hochul, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries refuse to denounce this takeover, they own it. New Yorkers deserve leaders who believe in the free market, two genders, and American institutions — not a party that's been hijacked by extremists."
Seven Additional Defendants Also Sentenced Before One-Year Anniversary of Attack to a Combined 450 Years in Prison
Today, the Justice Department announced that eight North Texas Antifa Cell operatives were sentenced for their roles in rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and the attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer at the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4, 2025. This is the first sentencing of defendants affiliated with Antifa following President Donald J. Trump’s executive order designating the group as a Domestic Terrorist Organization in September 2025.
Benjamin Hanil Song, who was convicted of the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Together, the Prairieland terrorists received a combined sentence of 450 years in prison:
“The sentences handed down today make clear that Antifa terrorists who attack law enforcement and federal facilities will face swift and uncompromising justice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Their violent extremism has no place in our country, and the Department of Justice will continue to aggressively investigate, disrupt, and prosecute those who threaten law enforcement officers or undermine the rule of law.”
“Today’s sentencings show the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and dismantling Antifa and its funding networks across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Acts of violence against our law enforcement partners will not be tolerated, and we continue our work to protect communities across the country from domestic terrorism.”
“These sentences justly punish the vicious, armed attack that these Antifa cell members planned and executed against law enforcement and detention center officers on the night of July 4th last year,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from a peaceful protest or First Amendment expression. Because of the prompt action of first responders that night and tenacious work of our law enforcement partners, in tandem with the prosecutors in my office, eight people have been rightly punished for these violent acts and their attempts to conceal them. We will continue in this mission to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.”
“The sentences handed down today send an unmistakable message: Attacks on federal officers and facilities will not be tolerated. The men and women of ICE serve with integrity and courage, often in challenging and dangerous environments. The calculated violence carried out by these Antifa cell members at Prairieland was an assault on law enforcement and an attack on the rule of law itself,” said Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella. “Nearly one year after this cowardly act, justice has prevailed. ICE will continue to stand firm against those who threaten our officers, our facilities and our mission.”
The sentences follow a 12-day trial that began on Feb. 23, where jurors heard testimony from 46 witnesses and considered over 210 exhibits supporting the charges against nine indicted defendants: Cameron Arnold, also known as Autumn Hill; Zachary Evetts; Benjamin Song; Savanna Batten; Bradford Morris, also known as Meagan Morris; Maricela Rueda; Elizabeth Soto; Ines Soto; and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada. All were convicted. Ines Soto was granted a continuance and will be sentenced on July 1.
Seven others, Seth Sikes, Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, and John Thomas, pleaded guilty prior to trial to one count of providing material support to terrorists and they will be sentenced on July 1.
Testimony and other evidence at trial established that the defendants were members of a North Texas Antifa Cell, part of a larger militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to an ideology that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. An expert testifying in the government’s case told the jury that ANTIFA’s coordinated efforts involve obstructing Federal law through organized riots, violent assaults, and armed confrontations with law enforcement officers, increasingly targeting agents and facilities related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in opposition to the agency’s deportation actions.
Evidence at trial revealed that most of the ANTIFA Cell involved in the Prairieland attack looked to Benjamin Song as a leader. Song acquired firearms that he distributed to co-defendants and recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions he conducted, as well as from various ideologically aligned groups. For example, defendants Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, and Savanna Batten were part of a group that created and distributed insurrectionary materials called “zines,” according to trial evidence.
Trial testimony reflected that, late at night on July 4, 2025, at least eleven of the defendants rioted and attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was using to house illegal aliens awaiting deportation. The defendants dressed in “black bloc”—dark clothing with head and face coverings that concealed their identities—designed to hide each individual’s identity but also to aid and abet those members engaged in illegal acts by making members indistinguishable from one another to law enforcement. Evidence introduced at trial revealed that the defendants brought eleven firearms, body armor, and eleven military-grade first aid kits with tourniquets and other items to treat gunshot wounds to the scene of the attack. Many of these items were introduced by the government as exhibits. Additionally, DNA and fingerprint evidence linked many of the defendants to the items at the scene, and evidence obtained on phone locations supported that those who participated in the attack all turned off their phones or placed them in Faraday bags to prevent tracking on the night of the attack.
After ANTIFA Cell members arrived at the detention facility, they began shooting off and throwing fireworks (explosives) at the facility and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shack on Prairieland property:
Exploding fireworks (explosives) thrown at the Prairieland facility by Antifa Cell members, captured by surveillance cameras.
Antifa Cell members’ vandalism at Prairieland, including graffiti on a guard building, punctured tires of a facility van, and broken facility surveillance camera.
Witnesses testified that an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911. When the officer began issuing commands to defendant Nathan Baumann, Benjamin Song can be heard on police bodycam video yelling, “get to the rifles!” and then he opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado police officer in the neck as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover. Police arrested most of the Antifa Cell shortly after the attack, many near the scene. Benjamin Song escaped and remained at large with the help of others until his capture on July 15, 2025.
Trial evidence demonstrated that collectively, this ANTIFA Cell acquired over 50 firearms in the Fort Worth/Dallas area prior to July 4. During trial, the government introduced numerous chats of the members, who used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate with each other that had auto-delete functions, permanently deleting some Antifa Cell members’ communications. They also used monikers in group chats to hide their identities, and some of the planning chats included only trusted participants. The chats introduced at trial revealed that members in this limited group conducted reconnaissance and discussed what to bring to the riot, including firearms, medical kits, and fireworks:
Chats between Song (“Champagne”) and Evetts (“Jon ValJon”) the day before the attack.
Chats between Song and Rueda (“Mal Criada”) just before the attack.
Files stored on Evetts’s phone listing Antifa tactics strikingly similar to the defendants’ tactics.
Witnesses who testified during the government’s case included the Alvarado police officer who was shot in the neck by Song, detention officers present that night who also took cover from rapid fire, multiple additional responding officers, numerous investigative agents, and cooperating codefendants, including Baumann, Sharp, Thomas, and Kent. Among other things, Kent testified that the night before the attack at a “gear check,” Song proposed to free the detainees at the Prairieland detention facility and told the group that they should wear “black bloc” and bring rifles, because he (Song) wasn’t going to be arrested. Evidence at trial also revealed that some of the defendants attended a peaceful daytime protest at Prairieland on July 4—without the gear they brought that night—and that they reported back to other defendants details regarding security at the facility:
The sentences of the eight defendants were for the following offenses:
Defendants Song, Morris, Rueda, and E. Soto were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark T. Pittman for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Judge Pittman said, “It’s by the grace of God that Song is not dead. He managed to get 11 shots in seconds; then the officer shooting blindly happened to hit the magazine well of Song’s rifle. Mr. Song’s lucky he isn’t dead. We had a guardian angel that ensured that Mr. Song isn’t dead, and we don’t have several deceased people at Prairieland.”
Defendants Arnold, Evetts, Batten, and Sanchez-Estrada were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’ Connor for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Chief Judge O’ Connor said, “The defendants’ violence and terrorism is an assault on Democracy. The defendants’ planning, staging, and execution of the attack led to the attempted murder of an officer who ironically is not even involved in enforcing immigration law.”
The sole count of providing material support to terrorists brought in the information against Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas, and separately, Sikes’s information, mirrors the material support offense in the charges presented to the jury at trial. Each of these defendants face a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison and will be sentenced on July 1, 2026.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO).
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that HIRAM CARRERO was sentenced to 66 months in prison for setting fire to a man who was sleeping on a New York City subway car. CARRERO previously pled guilty to arson on March 5, 2026, and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
“Setting fire to another person is a breathtaking, horrific, and unconscionable crime,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Thanks to first responders and the women and men of the NYPD and the FDNY, the victim’s life was saved, and a horrific tragedy was averted. Subway safety is front of mind for our Office, the NYPD, and our federal partners. Today’s sentence demonstrates that anyone who terrorizes New Yorkers on the subway or anywhere else will face swift justice.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
In the early morning hours of December 1, 2025, CARRERO boarded a New York City subway car at the 34th Street – Penn Station subway stop. He picked up a piece of paper (depicted in the screenshot below) and used it to set fire to a man asleep on the train. CARRERO stepped back onto the platform as the doors closed, leaving the victim locked inside the car to burn as the train departed.
Video from inside the train car shows that as the train traveled north towards the next station, the fire flared up, engulfing the victim’s legs and a portion of the train car in flames. When the train arrived at 42nd Street – Times Square, the victim emerged, burning from the train (depicted in a screenshot below).
Minutes later, first responders at the station rushed to extinguish the flames. The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition after sustaining life-threatening injuries from the fire.
In addition to his prison sentence, CARRERO, 19, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York City Police Department and the New York City Fire Department Fire Marshals.
New 60,000 Seat State-of-the-Art Stadium Will Keep the Team in Western New York for Next 30 Years
Economic Impact Will Far Exceed the Public Contribution to Western New York’s Largest Construction Project
First Scrimmage Game Set for August 8
Governor Kathy Hochul, the Buffalo Bills and Erie County today celebrated the official completion of the new $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. The massive public-private partnership marks the largest construction project in Western New York history, delivering a state-of-the-art, open-air entertainment venue that secures the franchise’s home in Buffalo for the next 30 years. Spanning 1.6 million square feet on a 242-acre site, the facility will host its first public event on August 8 with the Bills’ inaugural scrimmage game, the Blue & Red practice under the lights.
“Welcome to the new home of the Buffalo Bills! Today, we are not just opening a stadium; we are cementing the Buffalo Bills’ rightful place in Western New York for generations to come,” Governor Hochul said. “We are profoundly grateful to Terry and Kim Pegula for their visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to Buffalo, and the hardworking men and women of labor who have made this idea a reality. This state-of-the-art facility represents a historic investment in our community, creating thousands of good-paying jobs and delivering a world-class experience for the best fans in the NFL. New York State promised to keep the Bills home, and today we fulfill that promise with a stadium that matches the relentless energy and grit of Buffalo.
More than 600 guests gathered outside the stadium to celebrate the milestone, achieved just 34 months after the initial groundbreaking. Designed by the Bills in collaboration with Legends and architecture firm Populous, the project represents a major triumph for regional labor and diverse business utilization:
Standing at 116 feet above grade, nearly double the height of the previous stadium, the new Highmark Stadium features views of Lake Erie, downtown Buffalo, and the Boston Hills. Built to withstand Western New York winters while maximizing fan comfort, the venue includes a 60,108-seat capacity (plus standing room) and the following premier amenities:
Construction is set to begin on the first phase of 1920 Turnbull, a 22-story affordable and supportive housing development at 1920 Turnbull Avenue in Soundview, The Bronx. Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning and developed by Gilbane Development, Strada Development LLC, and the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS), the nearly $170 million building will contain 228 affordable rental apartments, including 137 permanent supportive housing units for formerly homeless individuals and families. The property is located between Pugsley Avenue and White Plains Road.
The development will also include approximately 3,500 square feet of on-site office space operated by CUCS, providing residents with case management, behavioral health support, benefits assistance, employment services, and other supportive programs. Planned amenities include a 24-hour staffed lobby, outdoor recreation areas, a fitness room, community room, bicycle storage, laundry facilities, and additional resident-focused spaces.
The rendering looks west at the building, previewing a multifaceted massing with a series of stepped setbacks topped with landscaped terraces around its midpoint. The lower levels will be clad in gray paneling, while the upper stories above the setbacks will feature a white envelope. A canopy, likely with a photovoltaic array, is depicted atop the flat roof.
A second planned building beyond 1920 Turnbull is expected to add 207 additional affordable apartments, with 15 percent of units designated as supportive housing. Together, the two phases will create a deeply affordable housing community in The Bronx.
The project is being designed to meet Passive House and Enterprise Green Communities standards and will feature fully electric heating and cooling systems, high-performance insulation, and other energy-efficient measures. The site is also participating in New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program.
Construction is slated for completion in 2029.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that CHASE HARRIS pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering based on his role in laundering proceeds from an international technology-support fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims and resulted in the theft of more than $1.2 million from approximately 25 known victims across the United States. In connection with this resolution, the Government is immediately recovering $282,376 in restitution that will be used to compensate victims. HARRIS pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2026.
“Chase Harris profited from a scheme that preyed on seniors by stoking and exploiting their fear,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “After his co-conspirators extracted money from their victims, Harris laundered that money and sent it to India. This plea, together with Harris’s restitution of over $1.2 million for victims, reflects this Office’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us.”
According to the Information, plea agreement, and statements made in public court proceedings:
From at least in or about November 2023 through at least in or about July 2024, HARRIS participated in an IT fraud scheme targeting elderly victims throughout the United States. As part of the scheme, HARRIS’s co-conspirators identified elderly victims and caused pop-up ads to appear on their computers, falsely informing them that their computers had been infected with a virus. At times, HARRIS’s co-conspirators posed as federal agents and threatened their victims with baseless criminal charges. Amid their coercive demands, the co-conspirators told victims that they had to pay for IT services to resolve these fraudulent issues, directing victims to send handwritten checks to various businesses, including several owned or controlled by HARRIS—including CSH Management LLC, C4H Management LLC, and S2J Consulting LLC. However, no services were ever provided.
After receiving checks from the victims, HARRIS transferred most of the proceeds from the scheme, totaling more than $1.2 million, to an India-based company operated by one of his co-conspirators. In return, HARRIS kept a portion of the stolen funds as a fee. While discussing the profitability of the scheme with HARRIS, one of his co-conspirators told him, “We can make millions [i]n [a] [j]iffy.”
HARRIS, 36, of Keller, Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. HARRIS also agreed to forfeit all proceeds from the offense and make restitution to victims in the amount of $1,240,847.99.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this investigation.
Washington Defendant Allegedly Conspired with Others to Procure and Fly Explosive-Laden Drones; Missouri Defendant Allegedly Possessed Weapons and Agreed to Produce Drone Parts for Use in the Plot
Two more men have been arrested by the FBI since Friday in a fast-moving FBI investigation of a plot to attack the June 14 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event at the White House.
William Lee Spartacus Falkner was arrested midday Friday, June 19. Falkner is charged by criminal complaint in the Western District of Washington with conspiracy to commit murder. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Tacoma at 2:00 pacific time today.
Jordan W. Rincker, 28, of St. Joseph, Missouri, was arrested Sunday, June 21. Rincker is charged by criminal complaint in the Western District of Missouri with conspiracy to commit murder. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Kansas City at 2:00 central time today.
“Law enforcement continues to do what it does — move to disrupt and hold accountable those allegedly plotting to do harm on the White House Grounds on June 14,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Each and every day, the FBI and their federal, state and local law enforcement partners, along with U.S. Attorneys offices across the country, safeguard American communities and our nation’s security.”
“These arrests are the latest result of the FBI, teaming up with our great partners, to identify and apprehend those who allegedly wanted to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event — a threat this FBI and our partners prevented,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “In just over a week we have executed a multi-state operation that could not have been possible without our Justice Department prosecutors, the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, Secret Service, and our state and local law enforcement partners to once again stop a potentially deadly plot before alleged criminals could act. This collective resolve demonstrates to anyone who threatens the lives of American citizens — this FBI and our partners will find you no matter where you hide, and you will face justice.”
“These latest arrests reflect the rapid progress of our investigation into the alleged plot targeting the UFC event at the White House — an apparent attempt to destabilize the U.S. government,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security (NSD) John A. Eisenberg. “NSD will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure that all individuals who sought to carry out this potential attack are identified and brought to justice.”
“I commend the work of the FBI for their effective investigative work on what was clearly a plot to murder members of the federal government at the highest levels,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “This was a geographically wide-ranging conspiracy, and the investigation has required round-the-clock coordination to identify and arrest those responsible. Here in the Pacific Northwest, the FBI and the Mason County Sheriff’s Office moved swiftly and carefully to ensure any threat to the public was neutralized.”
“This case demonstrates the effectiveness of our law enforcement partners and U.S. Attorneys working together to prevent violence before it can take place,” said U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price for the Western District of Missouri. “We will continue taking decisive action against those who seek to endanger national security and threaten the safety of Americans. By staying proactive, we will disrupt their operations, break apart their networks, and hold those responsible accountable under the law.”
William Falkner
According to the detailed complaint filed in the Western District of Washington, law enforcement first learned of the plot to attack the UFC White House event when the parents of a co-conspirator in Ohio, Tycen C. Proper, alerted police to their son’s purchase of weapons and concerning online activities. As investigators reviewed cell data and online communications, they identified a number of coconspirators including Falkner. The communications indicate that Falkner has experience with drones, both manufacturing and piloting them. In the communications, he discussed loading explosives on the drones and how to configure and fly them for maximum destructive impact.
The plan apparently called for the drones to attack the event on one side to force those in attendance to try to exit from the other side of the event where they could be shot by coconspirators with sniper rifles and other weapons.
Falkner and another had been discussing their “Work trip” prior to the scheduled UFC fight. After the arrests of some of the co-conspirators, Falkner and others communicated that the “work trip” was cancelled.
One of those arrested in this case said the goal of the conspirators was to cause enough chaos to bring about the overthrow of the U.S. government.
Conspiracy to commit murder is punishable by up to life in prison.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Wynne for the Western District of Washington is prosecuting the case, working closely with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
Jordan Rincker
In the criminal complaint filed in the Western District of Missouri, it is alleged that Rincker accepted $1,200 in cash from co-conspirator, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, to disperse payment to other co-conspirators involved in the UFC event attack plot. The complaint alleges that with this money Rincker sent Bryan Omar Roa, 24, of Calimesa, California, $100 through CashApp, for gas to drive from California to Washington, D.C., to pick up the “drone operator” for the attack. Both Alvarez and Roa were arrested and charged last week for their involvement in the plot to kill government officials during the UFC event at the White House.
Rincker allegedly communicated with co-conspirators on an encrypted messaging application. According to court documents, Rincker also gave a 12-gague pump action shotgun to Alvarez during an in-person meeting in Omaha. During this meeting, Alvarez gave Rincker a ballistic plate, face shield, 3D printer, 3D printing filament, night vision goggles, binoculars, a “wire checker,” and a minicomputer. Alvarez allegedly gave Rincker the 3D printer to make drones. The complaint also states Rincker “traded” the 12-gauge pump action shot gun with an ammunition-filled bandolier.
While executing a search warrant of Rincker’s home and storage unit, investigators found:
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Brackett, Trey Alford, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson for the Western District of Missouri are prosecuting the case, working closely with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
The charges contained in a complaint are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
