Authorities arrested a high school assistant principal in Virginia on Wednesday after he and his brother allegedly made detailed plans to attack federal immigration agents and other law enforcement officers, according to local reports.
Kempsville High School assistant principal John W. Bennett, 54, is accused of plotting the violence alongside his brother Mark B. Bennett, 59. An off-duty Norfolk police officer overheard the pair discussing their plans as they dined at a local pho restaurant on November 15, according to ABC13, citing court documents.
The brothers were allegedly heard saying Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were “kidnapping individuals,” while Mark Bennett mentioned plans to fly to Las Vegas to meet with “like-minded individuals” and return with “enforcement ideas and plans.”
Mark had purchased a flight for November 19, authorities later confirmed. He also mentioned recently purchasing an assault rifle because it could fire rounds that could cut through body armor, saying he yearned to “go hunting,” according to the outlet.
John seemingly endorsed the plan and expressed interest in joining his brother on the trip to Vegas, according to the report.
Authorities captured the pair at the Norfolk International Airport.
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The brothers were each charged with one conspiracy to commit malicious wounding and were granted $25,000 bond on Thursday, according to WAVY. While out of custody, the two must cut contact with each other and wear a GPS tracker.
The assistant principal has worked at the school district since 2009, according to ABC13. He is now on leave, school officials said.
“These allegations of violence against law enforcement, the very ones who protect and serve our communities, are incredibly alarming,” Virginia Beach Police Department Chief Paul W. Neudigate said in a statement.
ICE has faced a 1,000% surge in assaults since President Donald Trump returned to office and commenced a historic deportation operation across the country.
An anti-ICE shooter opened fire on an agency facility in Dallas in September, killing two detainees and himself.
At another North Texas ICE facility, a group of alleged Antifa militants lured agents outside by setting off fireworks on July 4 before spraying bullets in their direction. One of the alleged attackers shot a local police officer in the neck while hiding in the woods.
