DHS brass slam Virginia Beach principal accused in ‘chilling’ plot to lure, ambush ICE agents
In a shocking development, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched an investigation into John Wilson Bennett, an assistant principal at Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach, and his brother Mark Booth Bennett, who are accused of plotting an attack on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. This disturbing case came to light after an off-duty Norfolk police officer overheard the brothers discussing their intentions at a Vietnamese restaurant on November 17. According to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, the brothers were allegedly planning to travel to Nevada to purchase high-caliber rifles and explosive rounds, specifically with the intent to ambush ICE agents. McLaughlin described the situation as “chilling,” particularly given that one of the suspects is an educator responsible for the welfare of students.
The investigation reveals a broader trend of escalating violence against ICE agents, with McLaughlin citing a staggering 1,150% increase in assaults and an 8,000-fold rise in death threats against them. These statistics underscore the dangerous environment in which ICE agents operate while carrying out their duties to enforce immigration laws. The threats they face are not just limited to their professional lives; they also extend to their families, with instances of stalking, doxxing, and even bounties placed on their heads. The alarming nature of this case highlights the growing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement and the potential for violence that can arise from heated political and social debates.
While the Bennetts face serious charges of conspiracy to commit malicious wounding, Mark Bennett’s attorney, Happy O’Brien, has attempted to downplay the situation, suggesting that the conversation was misinterpreted and likening it to comedic exchanges from the sitcom “Seinfeld.” O’Brien claims that Mark was simply traveling to Nevada for a Formula One event with his child, contrasting sharply with the gravity of the allegations against them. As the investigation unfolds, it raises critical questions about the safety of law enforcement personnel and the societal implications of rising anti-ICE sentiment, emphasizing the need for a balanced discourse on immigration policy and enforcement.
FIRST ON FOX
: Top brass at the
Department of Homeland Security
told Fox News Digital the agency’s Investigations unit is now on the case of a Virginia educator and his brother accused of plotting to attack ICE, potentially with explosive rounds.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Wednesday that Kempsville High School
assistant principal John Wilson Bennett
and his older brother Mark Booth Bennett were overheard at a Vietnamese restaurant in Virginia Beach allegedly conspiring to go to Nevada and plan attacks on ICE agents in retribution for what they claimed to be “kidnapping[s]” of civilians during recent immigration enforcement operations.
“It’s chilling that a human being, much less a child educator, would plot to ambush and kill ICE law enforcement officers—offering such specifics as to getting a high-caliber rifle that would pierce the law enforcements’ bullet proof vests,” McLaughlin said, after Fox News Digital originally reported on the adult brothers’ arrest days ago.
“Thanks to Homeland Security Investigations and our partners, these men are behind bars.”
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John Bennett has been faculty at the school, located in the inland part of
Virginia Beach
, since 2009. The school told local press that he is currently on leave.
McLaughlin said DHS worked with law enforcement at all levels after an off-duty Norfolk police officer overheard the men at a Vietnamese restaurant in Virginia Beach on Nov. 17 discussing plans to “kill police officers and ICE agents,” with Mark Bennett allegedly saying he was planning to meet like-minded people in
Las Vegas
, where he would also purchase firearms with explosive rounds.
Two days later, Mark Bennett was arrested at Norfolk International Airport en route to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, to connect to Las Vegas. John Bennett was also arrested that day.
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McLaughlin said the case is indicative of the more-than 1,150% increase in
assaults against ICE agents
and 8,000-fold spike in death threats as they go about their daily work defending the homeland.
“They risk their lives every single day to remove the worst of the worst, including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members. From bounties placed on their heads for their murders, threats to their families, stalking, and doxxing online
,
our officers are experiencing an
unprecedented level of violence and threats
against them and their families,” McLaughlin said.
Happy O’Brien, Mark Bennett’s attorney, disputed the recounting of events, reportedly saying his client was instead flying to Nevada for a F1 (Formula One) motorsports event with his child, according to the
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
.
O’Brien reportedly compared the restaurant conversation to something out of the
NBC sitcom “Seinfeld”
– where Jerry Seinfeld’s and Jason Alexander’s characters would often have varying degrees of existential conversations while having coffee at “Monk’s.”
Both Bennetts were charged with conspiracy to commit malicious wounding.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report
.
