Texas authorities arrest suspect over alleged plot to attack state capitol in Austin
SWAT officers arrested 40-year-old Benny Caldera Jr. in Converse, Texas, after law enforcement uncovered an alleged plot to attack the state capitol building in Austin on Thursday.
Rapid response in Converse
Texas law enforcement personnel moved to detain a suspect in the early morning hours of Wednesday following warnings of a violent threat targeting state government facilities. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed that it received credible information on Tuesday evening indicating an individual was actively planning a violent attack in the city of Austin. Acting on the intelligence, tactical SWAT officers were deployed to a residential address located in Converse, Texas, a municipality situated near San Antonio. The raid occurred at approximately 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, resulting in the apprehension of 40-year-old Benny Caldera Jr. at the scene. Federal investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) provided operational assistance to state troopers throughout the overnight operation.
- DPS receives credible information about an attack planned in Austin
- SWAT officers arrest Benny Caldera Jr. in Converse, Texas
- Lawmakers are notified and security is increased across the Capitol
- Targeted date of the alleged planned attack in Austin
Alleged plot and potential charges
Following his apprehension in Converse, Benny Caldera Jr. was booked into custody and held on a $75,000 bond. According to official DPS documentation, the suspect faces potential charges that include a felony count of terroristic threat against a public servant. Inquiries and messages left seeking comment from an attorney listed in public legal records as representing Caldera received no immediate response. Department officials have declined to release specific information regarding how the attack was to be executed, what weapons may have been involved, or specific locations within the complex that were targeted. Authorities explicitly cited the active and ongoing nature of the criminal investigation as the reason for withholding further operational specifics about the alleged plot. Caldera remains in custody under the bond as investigators review the case.
Legislative notification and Capitol operations
State public safety leadership formally alerted Texas lawmakers regarding the security threat and Caldera's apprehension early Wednesday morning. Despite the warning that an attack had been planned for Thursday, state officials determined that the Capitol building in Austin would remain open to the public, lawmakers, and legislative staff during regular operating hours. Texas Senate Secretary Patsy Spaw communicated the security status to legislative personnel through an official notice. Spaw confirmed in her notice that visitors and staff would see increased security measures across the Capitol complex while law enforcement agencies proceed with the investigation. The administrative offices and legislative chambers in Austin operated on their standard schedules alongside the enhanced security presence.
Inter-agency coordination and official statements
The operation involved direct cooperation between Texas state troopers and the FBI to neutralize the threat prior to its scheduled execution date on Thursday. Texas Governor Greg Abbott addressed the situation directly through a public statement on social media, acknowledging the intervention by the DPS and federal partners.
Texas will NOT tolerate threats of violence against our Capitol.
State authorities maintained that the preemptive arrest in Converse successfully neutralized the threat before any violent actions could take place in Austin.
