Benjamin Hanil Song was sentenced to 100 years in prison for his role in the attack

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The Extremism Roundup
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*Focused on Evidence Instead of Narratives
* A weekly compilation of the most important developments in the struggle against radical ideologies

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A Word about this week's Roundup

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*with Richard Green*

Dear Reader,

Every week, we see new examples of how extremist threats continue to evolve—crossing ideological lines, exploiting technology, and targeting communities in different ways. While the tactics may change, one principle remains constant: prevention begins with awareness.

By identifying warning signs early, understanding emerging threats, and sharing accurate information grounded in facts, we can help reduce the risk of violence before it occurs. At Clarion Project, we remain committed to providing that insight and equipping communities with the knowledge they need to stay informed, vigilant, and safe.

Sincerely,

RIchard Green

CEO, Co-Founder

Clarionproject.org

*SECURITY TIPS FOR THE WEEK: Protecting You & Your Family Online
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**Stay Safe Using Online Marketplaces
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Online classified sites, such as Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, are an increasingly popular way for people to buy and sell items. Setting up an anonymous email account that you will use only for your online buying or selling will help protect you. Meet buyers/sellers only in busy public places (like police stations or crowded lots), and bring a friend.

*Don’t Use Unknown USB’s
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Research shows nearly 50% of people will plug an unknown, found USB drive into their computer. Never do this, they can install malware or damage hardware. Further protect your system by disabling Autorun/AutoPlay, using antivirus, and a data blocker on public ports.

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Militant-Right and Militant-Left Extremism
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Benjamin Hanil Song - via KWTX News10 Facebook page screenshot ( [link removed] )

Benjamin Hanil Song - via KWTX News10 Facebook page screenshot

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Antifa Cell Leader Sentenced in Prairieland ICE Facility Attack

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Benjamin Hanil Song was sentenced to 100 years in prison for his role in the July 4, 2025, attack on the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, where an Alvarado police officer was shot in the neck. Seven additional defendants were also sentenced, bringing the combined sentences announced by the Justice Department to 450 years in prison.

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According to trial evidence, Song was viewed by most of the North Texas Antifa cell as a leader, acquired firearms distributed to co-defendants, recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions, and helped coordinate an attack in which defendants arrived in black bloc clothing, brought firearms, body armor and military-grade first-aid kits, threw fireworks at the facility and vandalized vehicles and a guard shack.

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Prosecutors said Song opened fire after yelling, “get to the rifles!” as an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene. Police arrested most cell members shortly after the attack, while Song escaped and remained at large until his capture on July 15, 2025. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

Chicago Man Charged With Obstruction in White House UFC Attack Investigation
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Alexander Iniguez Mercado, 20, of Chicago, was arrested June 26 after a federal indictment charged him with obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation of a planned violent attack targeting the UFC event at the White House on June 14.

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According to the indictment, Mercado was allegedly an administrator and member of Signal messaging groups that included people who appeared to communicate about planning the attack. The DOJ said seven other individuals from multiple states have also been charged in connection with the investigation.

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Prosecutors said an FBI special agent called Mercado the day before the UFC event to discuss online threats and asked whether he planned to travel to Washington, D.C., to help with the attack; Mercado allegedly denied those plans and then uninstalled Signal from his phone, causing message data to become unavailable. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

*Transgender Nevada Suspect Charged After Alleged Mass Shooting Threats
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Allison Howlett, 36, who police identified as transgender, was arrested June 27 after Henderson, Nev., police responded to a 911 call from the suspect's spouse reporting a domestic dispute, a stolen vehicle loaded with firearms, and alleged threats of both "suicide by cop" and a mass shooting. Officers located Howlett at Sunset Station casino, where police said the suspect was sitting on a handgun with a fully automatic, suppressed MP5-style machine gun within reach.

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According to investigators, the incident began after Julie Howlett, the suspect's spouse, reported discovering unauthorized charges on her credit card. She told police Allison confronted her with a handgun, attempted to fire it during a struggle, then fled in her vehicle containing 22 firearms that Julie said were part of her inventory as a licensed gun dealer. Authorities later recovered 30 additional firearms from the Henderson residence, including automatic weapons, grenade launchers, suppressors and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

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Police said the investigation expanded into a counterterrorism case after investigators uncovered evidence that Howlett had allegedly made threats dating back to January 2024 about carrying out a mass shooting in Las Vegas. Howlett faces 35 criminal counts and denied planning a mass shooting during a post-arrest interview. A Clark County judge set bail at $500,000. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

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Islamist Extremism
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Catherine Beth Washburn, 37 - via DOJ screenshot ( [link removed] )

Catherine Beth Washburn, 37 - via DOJ screenshot

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Upstate New York Woman Charged With Attempting to Support Palestinian Islamic Jihad
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Catherine Beth Washburn, 37, of Irondequoit, N.Y., was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support and resources, namely currency, to the designated foreign terrorist organization Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), also known as the Al-Quds Brigades. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

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According to the complaint, Washburn is a leader of the Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL), an extremist organization formed after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Prosecutors allege DAMPL rejects peaceful protest in favor of "direct action," including sabotage and property destruction, and that Washburn sent approximately 80 cryptocurrency transfers totaling about $30,000 to an individual who claimed to be a PIJ fighter in Gaza.

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Federal investigators said searches conducted in February and March 2026 uncovered messages in which Washburn allegedly praised attacks against Israel, stated, "I wish every day were October 7th," expressed hatred toward Jews, and discussed weapons, ammunition and purported PIJ operations with the recipient. She made her initial appearance in federal court in Buffalo and remains charged by criminal complaint. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

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Hate Crimes
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A demonstrator holds a sign at a makeshift memorial at the site of a fatal altercation between 69-year-old Paul Kessler and a pro-Palestinian protestor on November 7, 2023, in Thousand Oaks, Calif. - Mario Tama/Getty Images ( [link removed] )

A demonstrator holds a sign at a makeshift memorial at the site of a fatal altercation between 69-year-old Paul Kessler and a pro-Palestinian protestor on November 7, 2023, in Thousand Oaks, Calif. -  Mario Tama/Getty Images

Anti-Israel Demonstrator Sentenced in Death of Jewish Counterprotester

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Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji, 53, was sentenced to one year in Ventura County jail and two years of felony probation after pleading guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter and battery causing serious bodily injury in the 2023 death of Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish counterprotester, during opposing demonstrations in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

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Prosecutors said Alnaji, a professor at Ventura County Community College, struck Kessler in the head with a megaphone during an altercation on Nov. 5, 2023, causing Kessler to fall backward and suffer a fatal head injury. Kessler later died at a hospital from his injuries.

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Fox News reported prosecutors had sought a state prison sentence, while Alnaji's defense argued for probation. The court instead imposed a one-year county jail sentence. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

Man Arrested in Alleged Anti-Gay Assault on 12-Year-Old

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Kevin Maxwell, 37, was arrested after police accused him of attacking a 12-year-old boy near a playground at the NYCHA Baruch Houses on Manhattan's Lower East Side in what investigators are treating as an anti-gay hate crime.

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According to the NYPD, Maxwell allegedly approached the child on April 29, shouted homophobic slurs and repeatedly struck the boy with a belt before fleeing. The victim suffered minor injuries.

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Maxwell was arrested more than two months after the alleged assault, and charged with multiple offenses, including two counts of hate crime assault, three counts of assault, menacing and acting in a manner injurious to a child. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

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Foreign Influence
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Syrian administration leader Ahmed al Sharaa (R) and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) hold a joint press conference after their meeting in Damascus, Syria on December 22, 2024 - Arda Kucukkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images ( [link removed] )

Syrian administration leader Ahmed al Sharaa (R) and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) hold a joint press conference after their meeting in Damascus, Syria on December 22, 2024 - Arda Kucukkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images

Report Highlights Growing Turkey-Qatar-Pakistan Strategic Alignment

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A Jerusalem Post analysis identifies Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan as an emerging "strategic triad" that combines close ties with the United States and other Western countries with support for Islamist movements and organizations hostile to Israel. The report says efforts are also underway to draw Saudi Arabia and Egypt closer to the bloc.

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According to the analysis, Turkey has become the principal external backer of Syria's new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, is helping build and train the country's new army, maintains an operational Hamas office in Istanbul and has expanded its influence in Lebanon. The report also notes Turkey's strategic partnerships with Qatar and Pakistan through military, economic and diplomatic cooperation.

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The report argues that the alliance's combination of financial resources, military capabilities and regional influence presents a growing challenge for Israel and complicates efforts to develop a coherent Western policy in the Middle East. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

Former National Security Advisor Pleads Guilty in Classified Information Case

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John R. Bolton II, 77, of Bethesda, Md., pleaded guilty to willfully retaining national defense information after sending highly classified information through personal email accounts and messaging applications to family members who were not authorized to receive it. According to court documents, the material included Top Secret and Sensitive Compartmented Information concerning foreign military plans, covert U.S. operations and intelligence obtained through human sources and intercepted communications.

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Prosecutors said Bolton retained copies of the classified documents at his home and transmitted them using non-government systems not approved for classified information. Court documents state that after leaving office, Bolton's personal email account was hacked by a cyber actor believed to be associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and that he did not disclose to investigators that the compromised account contained national defense information.

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A federal grand jury indicted Bolton on 18 counts in October 2025. Under a plea agreement resolving all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 60 months in prison, agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine, and, under federal law, will forfeit eligibility for his federal retirement annuity. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 28. READ MORE ( [link removed] )

QUOTABLE

If children do not understand the Constitution, they cannot understand how our government functions, or what their rights and responsibilities are as citizens of the United States.

--John Roberts

NOTE TO OUR READERS: We have pulled out the salient points of the articles in this newsletter to keep you informed and focused on the most relevant, important and timely news in national security and extremism. While our national security experts stand behind the summary bullets and deem them trustworthy, Clarion Project does not endorse all the views expressed in the articles linked.

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