Federal immigration law enforcement agents are facing what is being described as a “staggering surge” in violent attacks, including ambushes at their own facilities.

The assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, calls it a “disgusting escalation fueled by toxic rhetoric vilifying those who protect our borders.”

In one recent attack, federal officials say at least 10 people carried out an ambush at a Texas ICE facility that left a local police officer with a gunshot wound to his neck.

In a separate attack on Tuesday, U.S. Border Patrol officials in California say three people used improvised devices to disable agent vehicles that were being used to carrying out an immigration enforcement operation at Van Nuys. A post on X showed a nail-covered device embedded in the tire of a vehicle. No injuries were reported. The three alleged attackers were arrested and face felony charges. 

On Monday, a man wearing tactical gear fired dozens of rounds at federal agents at a U.S. Border Patrol facility at McAllen, Texas, in an ambush as the agents were arriving for work. Agents and local police officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, identified as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, and killed him. A McAllen police officer, Ismael Garcia, suffered a bullet wound to his right leg.

In the other Texas attack, 10 people face multiple charges of attempting to murder a federal officer in connection with an incident at an ICE facility. An 11th person is charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy. Officials say the attack at the Prairieland Detention Center was “organized,” and it left an Alvarado police officer with a gunshot wound to the neck.

The acting prosecutor for the Northern District of Texas says that the group’s members were dressed in black military-style clothing when they began shooting fireworks at the facility on July 4 and then opened fire with AR-15-style rifles.

“Make no mistake, this was not a peaceful protest,” an acting U.S. attorney, Nancy E. Larson, says. “This was an ambush on federal and local law enforcement officers.”

A criminal complaint alleges that after approximately 10 minutes, one or two members of the group broke off and began to spray graffiti on vehicles and a guard structure in the parking lot. One car had “Traitor” painted on it and another was defaced with the words “Ice Pig.”

The local police officer who was shot had responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911.  Another member of the group allegedly fired 20 to 30 rounds at unarmed correctional officers who had gone outside the facility during the attack.

The suspects took off from the scene but were stopped by additional law enforcement officers, according to authorities. Some were allegedly wearing body armor, some were armed, and some had two-way radios.

Additionally, officers found spray paint, flyers stating, “FIGHT ICE TERROR WITH CLASS WAR!” and “FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS,” and a flag stating, “RESIST FACISM – FIGHT OLIGARCHY.”  One of the alleged attackers had cellphones inside a “Faraday bag,” that blocks phone signals and makes it difficult to track their location.

Police also say they found AR-style rifles at the scene of the attack and a total of 12 sets of body armor.

The 10 individuals initially arrested were identified as Cameron Arnold, Savannah Batten, Nathan Baumann, Zachary Evetts, Joy Gibson, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Seth Sikes, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto. They face up to life in prison if convicted. The suspect arrested two days later was named as Daniel Rolando Sanchez. All of the suspects are Texas residents.

“Violence, threats of violence, and attempts of vandalism at our ICE Facilities will not deter our officers at ICE from fulfilling their duties,” the acting head of the Dallas ICE field office, Josh Johnson, says. “This type of vigilante lawlessness is emblematic of the dangers federal, state, and local law enforcement officials face every day.”