An assistant high school principal and his brother have been arrested in the US after allegedly plotting to kill police officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Las Vegas, according to federal officials.
John and Mark Bennett were taken into custody after an off-duty police officer overheard them discussing the scheme at a restaurant in Virginia Beach on 17 November, authorities said. The officer reported that the men spoke about “how ICE agents are kidnapping individuals and that they needed to do something about it.”
Mark Bennett was arrested two days later at Norfolk International Airport as he prepared to travel to Las Vegas, where he allegedly intended to meet like-minded people to obtain “enforcement ideas and plans.” John Bennett, an assistant principal at Kempsville High School, was arrested in Virginia Beach and placed on leave by the school district.
According to a criminal complaint, the pair are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit malicious wounding. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Mark Bennett had been planning to “purchase firearms with explosive rounds to carry out the attacks” on ICE agents, and that they intended to acquire rifles capable of piercing bulletproof vests.
Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at DHS, called the plot “chilling,” adding: “Thanks to Homeland Security Investigations and our partners, these men are behind bars.” Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate described the alleged crime as “incredibly alarming” and said the arrests ensured the safety of law enforcement and the public.
