In a shocking revelation, a high school assistant principal from Virginia and his brother have been apprehended on charges of conspiring to execute a violent assault targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
This alarming development was made public by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday, highlighting a plot involving firearms and explosives.
According to The Post Millennial, John Wilson Bennett, who serves as the Assistant Principal at Kempsville High School, and his brother, Mark Booth Bennett, face charges of conspiracy to commit malicious wounding. The Virginia state police reportedly intercepted conversations on November 17, where the brothers allegedly discussed plans to "kill police officers and ICE agents."
Mark Bennett was also purportedly overheard expressing intentions to convene with like-minded individuals in Las Vegas, Nevada, to acquire firearms equipped with explosive rounds for the attack.
The arrests took place on November 19, with John Bennett being detained in Virginia Beach, while Mark Bennett was apprehended at Norfolk International Airport. Mark was reportedly preparing to board a flight to North Carolina, with Las Vegas as his ultimate destination.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin expressed her dismay at the plot, stating, "It's chilling that a human being, much less a child educator, would plot to ambush and kill ICE law enforcement officers - offering such specifics as to getting a high-caliber rifle that would pierce the law enforcement's bulletproof vests." She commended the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and their partners for ensuring the suspects are now in custody.
McLaughlin further highlighted the escalating dangers faced by ICE officers, noting, "Our officers are facing a more than 1,150% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats while they risk their lives every single day to remove the worst of the worst, including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members."
She emphasized the unprecedented level of violence and threats, including bounties, family threats, stalking, and online doxxing, that officers and their families endure.
The charges against the Bennett brothers are filed under Virginia state law, though court dates remain pending as the complaints are sealed. The DHS has not disclosed any potential motives behind the alleged plot, leaving many questions unanswered about the intentions driving such a grave conspiracy.
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