Texas Officer Shot in ICE Facility Ambush — 8 Armed Suspects Captured

A routine call turned into a nightmare Friday night outside the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. At around 11 p.m., an officer from the Alvarado Police Department was shot in the neck while investigating reports of suspicious individuals lurking near the federal facility.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the group of masked individuals — some wearing body armor — vandalized security cameras and vehicles, then set off fireworks and incendiary devices to lure law enforcement away from the center. When the first officer arrived, multiple assailants opened fire.

The officer was airlifted to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth and has since been released, officials confirmed.

Authorities say eight suspects were arrested at the scene, all allegedly part of a larger group dressed in black and masked. The Department of Homeland Security and Texas Rangers are now involved in the investigation.

“This was a deliberate assault on a federal facility and a local officer,” a Johnson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said in a statement.

On Saturday, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the public:
“We are closely monitoring the attacks on DHS detention facilities in Prairieland, TX, and Portland, OR. The Department has zero tolerance for assaults on federal officers or property.”

The Prairieland attack is part of a disturbing trend. Similar rioting incidents have been reported at ICE facilities in Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Newark, and New York over the last few weeks.

Authorities are urging anyone with video footage, tips, or eyewitness accounts to contact Johnson County Crime Stoppers immediately. This investigation is active and expanding.

Click the comment link for video footage, updated arrest details, and official agency responses.