The Justice Department on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, announced an eight-count indictment charging 15 members and associates of Direct Action Minnesota, a Minneapolis-based group described by federal authorities as having Antifa ties.
The group operates under the moniker DAMN. Prosecutors allege it conducted an organized campaign against federal and local law enforcement agencies.
The charges include conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, interstate stalking, interstate threats, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, assaults on federal officers, and destruction of government property.
Under previous administrations, the Justice Department has emphasized that actions such as blocking roads, chasing agents, and attempting to shut down federal operations can result in federal charges. Homeland Security Investigations arrested 12 members of Direct Action Minnesota within the past 24 hours. Two individuals remain at large, while one was already in federal custody on separate charges.
Federal prosecutors allege the group treated harassment of immigration enforcement as a tactical skill, training members in shield use, surveillance techniques, event planning, role differentiation, and rapid mobilization against immigration operations. The group reportedly drew from subgroups including the Black Cat Worker’s Collective and the Ray Rainbolt Memorial Shooting Club.
Alleged activities include collaborating with rapid response networks to identify, harass, and obstruct federal officers performing their duties. Coordination among members was reportedly conducted through Signal messaging, regular gatherings, and operational security protocols.
The indictment cites two specific incidents: one on January 23 and another on March 1, at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building. Prosecutors state that group members employed both hard and soft blockades to disrupt federal operations—hard blockades allegedly involving vehicles, trailers, Czech hedgehogs, and debris dumped across roads used by law enforcement; soft blockades reportedly utilizing homemade shields to physically resist officers and penetrate teams of agents on foot.
Federal authorities also allege the group engaged in “commuting tactics,” including identifying, following, surveilling, harassing, and confronting federal immigration officials to impede enforcement activities. Prosecutors described vehicle databases built to track federal law-enforcement vehicles, incorporating license plate information and reported sightings.
The indictment details specific incidents: a federal immigration officer was allegedly followed into Wisconsin; a federal vehicle was sideswiped by Natasha Rakotz; and a government vehicle was kicked and dented by William Morgan. Federal officials note the group’s activities extended beyond Minnesota, with members allegedly participating in Anarchist Speaking Tour events in Chicago, Ann Arbor, and Seattle during April 2026 to discuss obstructing immigration enforcement and coaching other groups.
The case is part of the National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative and Joint Task Force Vanguard, a federal program targeting organized political violence. The Justice Department stresses that an indictment is merely an allegation, and every defendant remains presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. Federal authorities assert that stalking federal officers, cataloging their vehicles, and barricading federal buildings crosses from protest into alleged criminal activity.
