Federal prosecutors unsealed an eight-count indictment Tuesday charging 15 members and associates of Direct Action Minnesota, a Minneapolis-based group the Justice Department says is "dedicated and committed to direct action against federal law and immigration enforcement", with crimes ranging from conspiracy to impede federal officers to assault, interstate stalking, and destruction of government property.
Twelve of the 15 were arrested in a coordinated sweep led by Homeland Security Investigations over the preceding 24 hours. Two remain at large. One was already in federal custody on separate charges.
The charges, unsealed in the District of Minnesota, describe an alleged months-long effort to blockade a federal building, tail immigration officers across state lines, dox agents, and physically confront law enforcement, all organized through encrypted Signal Messenger chats and carried out by a network the government says includes self-described anarchists and members of Antifa-affiliated sub-groups.
The Justice Department press release lays out a pattern of escalating confrontation. On January 23 and again on March 1, DAMN members allegedly organized "direct actions" at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, deploying what prosecutors call hard and soft blockades against federal immigration officers and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office deputies. Both actions allegedly shut down operations at the building.
The group trained members in the use of shields against law enforcement, surveillance techniques, event planning, role differentiation, and rapid mass mobilization against ICE enforcement actions, the indictment states. Members allegedly worked with rapid response networks to identify and harass federal officers.
DAMN's internal structure, as described in the indictment, draws from sub-groups including the Black Cat Worker's Collective, which describes itself on Facebook as "a class struggle anarchist organization committed to workplace struggle, housing justice, community self defense, internationalism, and revolution", and the Ray Rainbolt Memorial Shooting Club, described by the Justice Department as a Minneapolis-based Antifa affinity group dedicated to "community self-defense."
The group's own language is revealing. It calls itself "a decentralized coalition of working-class people engaged in various forms of community defense against the current Federal Occupation happening within the wider metro area, and against state and a far-right violence more broadly."
The indictment details specific alleged acts that go well beyond protest. On May 4, DAMN member Isaac Sant allegedly drove a Hyundai Sonata and followed a federal immigration officer from the Whipple Building all the way to Hudson, Wisconsin, where St. Croix County deputies stopped the vehicle and identified Sant as the driver.
Sant also allegedly used the group's Signal chat to broadcast real-time intelligence about ICE operations. On May 15, he allegedly sent a message reading: "Alerta alerta: There's an ICE raid in progress RIGHT NOW at 28th and Bloomington. Ford F150..." followed by "three agents out of vehicle. I am not on scene. Get over there if you can!" Fellow member Brian Apland allegedly responded: "Omw (on my way)."
That same day, an unindicted coconspirator allegedly posted an HSI agent's government-issued vehicle description and license plate number in a Signal group chat called "Whipple 3.0." William Morgan then allegedly showed up at the scene, knocked an agent's notes out of his hand, and kicked a government vehicle hard enough to dent it.
On May 18, Natasha Rakotz allegedly followed a federal immigration officer from the Whipple Building to the area of Minnesota State Highway 55 and Highway 5, brake-checked the officer, and sideswiped the officer's vehicle, causing a collision.
The federal government's recent willingness to bring serious charges in Minnesota marks a broader pattern. The DOJ has also moved aggressively on a massive Minnesota Medicaid fraud scheme targeting tens of millions in taxpayer funds, signaling that the state is drawing sustained federal scrutiny.
The government's case ties DAMN directly to Antifa networks. Kyle Wagner, identified as a DAMN member, was arrested in Minneapolis on February 5 for allegedly doxxing a federal agent in the Eastern District of Michigan. When agents took Wagner into custody, he was wearing a sweatshirt with "I'm Antifa!" on the front. Law enforcement recovered several Antifa patches from his residence.
DAMN members also took their methods on the road. In April, members participated in what they called an "Anarchist Speaking Tour" in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Seattle, Washington; and Chicago. Callum Robinet told an audience in Ann Arbor on April 8: "So this is an anarchist speaking tour. We're all anarchists."
Cameron Kennedy, who participated in the Seattle event on April 18, described himself as a "revolutionary anarchist" and called the group's activities "the happiest moment of my life." Kennedy also drew a direct line from the 2020 George Floyd riots to the current anti-ICE campaign, stating: "A lot of mutual aid networks that were later characterized...this resistance to ICE came from the George Floyd uprising."
That admission is worth pausing over. It suggests the group sees its alleged obstruction of federal law enforcement not as a spontaneous reaction to specific immigration policies but as a continuation of the upheaval that convulsed Minneapolis in 2020, an upheaval whose costs the city's residents are still paying.
The broader accountability questions surrounding Minnesota's institutions have only deepened in recent months. A former Minnesota fraud investigator has told lawmakers he was pressured to bury evidence in a separate state-level scandal, raising uncomfortable questions about whether the state's leadership has the will to confront organized lawbreaking within its borders.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche framed the case in stark terms, stating:
"As alleged, these defendants, which included members of Antifa groups, engaged in an unrelenting campaign of harassment and violence targeting federal and local law enforcement. Their actions created a dangerous environment that threatened not only their intended targets, but the community as a whole. These arrests demonstrate the Department's commitment to law and order and stopping organized political violence in Minneapolis and beyond."
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was blunter. "The arrests of these rioters is a win for law and order," Mullin said. "We have ZERO tolerance for violence against our law enforcement. If you assault or obstruct law enforcement, you will face the consequences."
U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota called the alleged conduct "un-American," adding: "For those who choose to threaten or harm federal officers, the Department of Justice will hold you accountable."
Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of HSI St. Paul offered the most detailed statement, drawing a clear line between lawful protest and what prosecutors allege happened here:
"We fully respect and defend the First Amendment right to peaceful protest. However, when protest crosses the line into violence or criminal activity, it becomes unlawful and will not be tolerated. Our message is clear: you may disagree with the laws, and you have the right to protest them, but you must abide by them or face the consequences. The law is not optional, and any attempt to undermine it through violence or intimidation will be met with swift and decisive action."
Brian Lynch, co-director of Joint Task Force Vanguard, said the charges align with the task force's core mission: "a collaborative, whole of government effort to counter groups that use violence and the threat of violence to achieve political ends."
The DAMN indictment arrives amid a sustained federal push in Minnesota that extends beyond immigration enforcement. The DOJ has also moved to revoke citizenship from naturalized immigrants accused of fraud and other serious crimes, part of a broader effort to restore consequences for those who exploit the legal system.
The charges also raise questions about the political environment in Minneapolis that allowed a group like DAMN to operate openly, organizing blockades of a federal building, tailing officers across state lines, and broadcasting real-time intelligence about ICE operations, for months before the indictment came down.
DAMN members didn't hide what they were doing. They used Signal chats with names like "Whipple 3.0." They wore Antifa sweatshirts. They went on a multi-city speaking tour and told audiences they were anarchists. They described their campaign against federal law enforcement as the continuation of a revolutionary project.
The political leadership in Minnesota has faced its own scrutiny on accountability questions. Governor Tim Walz dropped his DHS commissioner just before a confirmation hearing as fraud scrutiny intensified, a move that did little to inspire confidence in the state's willingness to police its own institutions.
The indictment names 15 defendants but does not publicly identify all of them. Two remain at large. The full list of names, the specific statutory citations for each count, and the case docket number have not been made public in the Justice Department's announcement.
It is also unclear how long federal investigators monitored DAMN's activities before moving to arrest. The timeline in the indictment stretches from late January through mid-May, with the arrests coming in mid-June, suggesting a deliberate investigative buildup rather than a reactive response.
What happens next will test whether the federal courts treat organized obstruction of immigration enforcement with the seriousness the charges suggest it deserves. The defendants face a range of federal counts. Conspiracy to impede a federal officer, assault on federal officers, interstate stalking, and solicitation to commit a crime of violence are not minor charges. They carry real time.
For years, a certain kind of political violence has been treated as protest, excused as passion, or simply ignored when it targeted the right people. The DAMN indictment suggests the federal government is done pretending there's no difference between holding a sign and sideswiping a federal officer's car.