The Fourth of July ambush that left a Texas police officer shot in the neck was not a random attack. Federal officials have confirmed it was part of a larger plot to kill ICE agents, exposing the violent underbelly of the anti-ICE movement.

The officer, thankfully now released from the hospital, was attacked outside an ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas, when he responded to reports of suspicious activity. He encountered heavily armed suspects in body armor and masks, carrying goggles and fliers reading “Resist fascism,” “fight oligarchy,” and “fight ICE terror.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson made it clear this was not a protest gone wrong. “It was a planned ambush with the intent to kill ICE corrections officers,” she stated Monday. “Make no mistake, this was not a peaceful protest. It was indeed an ambush.”

Federal officials described how the attackers, dressed in black tactical gear, first detonated fireworks outside the ICE facility to lure law enforcement and unarmed ICE employees outside. When two ICE employees stepped out to investigate, they found individuals using flashlights while spray-painting “Traitor” and “ICE Pig” on vehicles and the building.

As an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene, gunfire erupted, leaving him critically injured. This was no isolated incident; it was a coordinated attempt to bait and kill law enforcement, reminiscent of the Idaho assassin who lured firefighters to a blaze only to murder them.

Larson confirmed that ten suspects and one co-conspirator are facing federal charges, including attempted murder of a federal officer. She emphasized that these individuals face long prison sentences, and many Americans would agree those sentences should be even longer.

This violent anti-ICE attack is part of a growing pattern of aggression from radical activists who target law enforcement and federal officers while leftist politicians stay silent or dismiss the violence as “mostly peaceful protests.” ICE agents and local officers risk their lives every day to protect American communities while facing increasing threats from radical groups emboldened by a media and political class that often downplays their work.

Conservatives should take note: these attacks are not isolated but are a direct result of rhetoric demonizing ICE and law enforcement, stoked by activists who openly call for “abolishing ICE” while ignoring the chaos that would follow. It is clear the far-left’s war on law enforcement is escalating, and Americans must continue to support officers and federal agents who stand on the front lines protecting the nation.