Federal prosecutors unseal charges against 15 defendants
Federal prosecutors in Minnesota unsealed an indictment charging 15 defendants they say were members or associates of Direct Action Minnesota, a Minneapolis-based group that authorities link to Antifa-affiliated networks. U.S. Attorney Dan Rosen said the case stems from alleged efforts to interfere with Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement push that brought thousands of agents to the Twin Cities area earlier this year. Prosecutors say the defendants face counts including conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, interstate threats, interstate stalking, assault on a federal officer, and destruction of government property. In other words, this was not a calm neighborhood book club with a few strong opinions and a parking problem.
Prosecutors say the group used chats, shields, and roadblocks
The indictment says much of the planning happened in encrypted Signal chats, where participants were allegedly split into subgroups with specific roles. Prosecutors also say members received training in surveillance, operational planning, rapid mobilization, and the use of shields during clashes with law enforcement. Authorities describe two main methods of disruption: “hard” blockades, which allegedly used vehicles, trailers, debris, and Czech hedgehogs near the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, and “soft” blockades, which allegedly relied on homemade shields made from plastic, wood, and metal. The word “organized” gets used a lot in government press releases, but here it appears to mean what it usually should mean when roads are blocked and federal buildings are shut down.
Agents were allegedly followed, struck, and shadowed
Prosecutors also allege that some defendants used “commuting” tactics, meaning federal agents were followed after leaving the Whipple Building. One example says Isaac Sant followed a federal officer to Hudson, Wisconsin, on May 4. Another allegation says Natasha Rakotz brake-checked and sideswiped a federal officer’s vehicle on May 18, causing a collision. Prosecutors say William Morgan knocked notes from a federal agent’s hand and kicked a government vehicle on May 15, causing dents, and that Sant was present for that incident. After the charges were announced, protests broke out outside federal facilities in St. Paul and Minneapolis, with reports of property damage and attempts to interfere with agents. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case shows the Justice Department is targeting organized attacks on law enforcement, which is the sort of statement that should not be necessary, but here we are.
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