Rewards totaling $35,000 have been offered for information leading to the apprehension of a wanted man allegedly involved in a planned ambush of federal and local law enforcement officers at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in North Texas.
Texas Department of Public Safety issued a Blue Alert as a manhunt continues for the suspect, Benjamin Song, 32, “wanted in connection to violence against a law enforcement officer,” DPS said.
Texas DPS also added Song to its 10 Most Wanted Fugitive List, stating, “Subject should be considered ARMED and DANGEROUS!”
DPS released photos of him describing him as approximately 5’6” tall, weighing 150 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.
Song has ties to Dallas County, including Dallas and Addison, DPS said. On July 8, warrants were issued out of Johnson County for his arrest for “Aiding Terrorism, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Public Servant, and Engaging in Organized Crime.” On July 9, a federal arrest warrant was issued in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth, after Song was charged with “Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer and Discharging a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.”
The FBI, which is leading the ongoing investigation, has asked members of the public to provide any information about the incident by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. It’s also issuing a $25,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest, bringing the total reward to $35,000.
Anyone who sees Song is instructed not to approach him and to call 911, the FBI, DPS or Texas Crime Stoppers.
To be eligible to receive cash rewards, tipsters must call Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), submit a web tip through Texas DPS’ 10 Most Wanted website or Texas DPS online form.
Tips are anonymous and tipsters are given a number instead of using their name.
On July 4, the Alvarado Police Department announced that one of its police officers had been shot in the neck after responding to a call without stating the incident occurred outside of an ICE detention facility. What occurred was “a planned ambush with the intent to kill ICE corrections officers,” involving 10 to 12 people dressed in black, wearing tactical gear and body armor, who shot 20-30 rounds at unarmed corrections officers and the police officer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Susan Larson said.
Ten individuals were each charged with three counts of attempted murder of a federal officer and three counts of discharging a firearm related to a crime of violence. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison and up to life in prison. One co-conspirator was charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy for attempting to conceal and destroy evidence and faces up to 10 years in prison, The Center Square reported.
It was the first of two officer involved shootings outside of a federal immigration facility in Texas this week, The Center Square first reported. The second occurred on Monday after a Michigan man opened fire on a Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, shooting a McAllen Police officer in the knee who responded to the call. The shooter was killed by Border Patrol agents and a multiagency investigation is ongoing.
Josh Johnson, acting field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations-Dallas said, “This type of vigilante lawlessness is emblematic of the dangers federal, state and local law enforcement officials face every day. Within ICE alone, our officers and agents are facing a 700% increase in assaults.”
That’s a 200 percentage point increase from three weeks ago when attacks were up by 500%, The Center Square reported.
