Table of Contents
Section 1: Summary
Header
- Date: March 3, 2026 (Tuesday)
- Court: U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division (with Dallas simulcast courtroom)
- Case: Prairieland Federal Trial
- Judge: Mark Pittman
- Prosecution: Shawn Smith (AUSA), plus prosecution team
- Defense Attorneys Present:
- Christopher Weinbel and Rachel Taft (Daniel “Des” Sanchez Estrada)
- MarQuetta A. Clayton (Maricela Rueda)
- Phillip Hayes (Benjamin “Champagne” Song)
- Cody Cofer and James Luster (Autumn Hill)
- Leigh Davis (Ines Soto)
- Harmony Schuerman and Blake Ryan Burns (Elizabeth Soto)
- Patrick McClain, Bradley John Sauer, Brian Matthew Bouffard (Zachary Evetts)
- Chris Tolbert (Savanna Batten)
- J. Warren St. John and David Miles Brissette (Meagan Morris)
- Defendants Present: All defendants present
- Type of Proceeding: Jury trial — Continuation of government’s case-in-chief (search warrant witnesses)
Key Takeaways
- Judge Pittman granted the prosecution’s motion to exclude self-defense as a defense. The judge ruled that no evidence meets the requisite justification for a self-defense instruction. He cited US v. Grange (1996), Tennessee v. Garner (inapplicable), Brothers v. Zoss (moderate force), and Green v. Knight (2008) in support. The defense may still ask questions to refute intent, but prosecution may object. This is a significant ruling that narrows the defense’s options at trial.
- The prosecution’s case today put political ideology itself on trial. The entire day was consumed by FBI agents testifying about search warrant executions at multiple residences and vehicles. The government’s strategy was to display zines, stickers, pamphlets, flags, and other political materials — anarchist, antifascist, anti-ICE, animal liberation — and argue that this shared ideology proves conspiracy and motive. FBI case agent Kasey Bennett testified that the materials “show a group of people sharing an ideology” and that this “might lead us to intent behind the attack” and “shows a conspiracy.”
- Every single FBI witness admitted under cross-examination that none of the seized items were illegal. No illegal firearms, no illegal ammunition, no illegal literature. Agent Bennett conceded the zines are freely available online, that the literature could be described as feminist or animal liberation rather than “antifa,” and that a box of materials could have been packed in 2021 and never reopened. Agent Chin confirmed no search warrant existed for the truck search. Agent Curtis contradicted herself on whether she was looking for specific pamphlets or all pamphlets.
- Defense landed a devastating cross-examination on the surveillance of Daniel Sanchez. The surveillance agent admitted: (1) he falsely told Denton PD that Sanchez was a murder suspect and that there was an IED, neither of which was true; (2) Sanchez was pulled over at gunpoint for a wide right turn; (3) agents abandoned surveillance of the box — which they claimed might contain explosives — for approximately 10 minutes to pursue Sanchez; (4) no Miranda rights were read; and (5) Sanchez was cooperative throughout.
- Attorney-client privilege dispute over Exhibit 65, Page 3. Defense objected that a page in the search evidence contained confidential attorney-client communications. Judge Pittman said he didn’t have time to digest the objection and the prosecution removed the page for now, with the option to recall the witness later. Ruling effectively punted.
- A juror was observed sleeping during the afternoon session (back row, second from end), per note-taker KA.
- Next court date: March 4, 2026. Prosecution previewed witnesses: Van Horn, Grant, Williamson, Agent McGuire, followed by cooperators after lunch. Prosecution expects to finish cooperators after lunch Thursday.
Narrative Summary
Morning Session — Ruling on Self-Defense Motion (~8:45 AM)
The day opened with Judge Pittman ruling on the prosecution’s motion to exclude self-defense as a defense theory. The judge granted the motion, finding that no evidence satisfies the requisite justification for a self-defense jury instruction. He outlined the legal standard: use of force is justified only if a person reasonably believes unlawful force is being used against them. Pittman found that defendants could not meet this because (1) they would have known they were dealing with law enforcement, and (2) their fear for their life does not warrant the instruction.
The judge cited multiple cases: US v. Grange (1996) — evidence did not require a self-defense instruction; Tennessee v. Garner — inapplicable; he noted that Lieutenant Ross did not exercise force until Song shot at him; Brothers v. Zoss [phonetic] — moderate force; and Green v. Knight (2008) — distinguishable because in that case officers couldn’t see the person’s hands. Pittman concluded that a reasonable officer observing destruction of property could conclude force was necessary.
The judge stated that self-defense is barred unless evidence is admissible for other purposes. Defense asked: “Can we ask questions to refute intent?” Pittman responded that the prosecution is free to object. The jury was then brought in and the judge reminded them of courtroom rules.
Witness: FBI/Garland Police Special Agent — Joint Terrorism Task Force, WMD Expert
This witness was deployed to surveil Daniel “Des” Sanchez Estrada’s parents’ house on July 6, 2025.
Direct Examination (Prosecution): The agent testified that four agents conducted surveillance starting at 10:45 AM. They observed Sanchez exit carrying packages — 3-4 boxes, an accordion folder, and a fanny pack. License plates were run. They followed Sanchez to a racetrack (where he did not unload), then north of I-35 to Denton, where he carried a box into an apartment. After 5-6 minutes Sanchez left. Denton PD was called in and pulled Sanchez over. Exhibit 186 (surveillance photos) admitted. Exhibit 74-A (body camera footage) admitted and played.
Body camera footage showed Sanchez in the back seat of a police vehicle. In the video, Sanchez said his partner had been arrested, the bag was trash, and there were no explosives. The prosecution characterized this as Sanchez “playing dumb.”
Cross-Examination (Rachel Taft for Sanchez): This was a strong cross. Key points established:
- No warrant existed on July 6th when agents surveilled and Denton PD detained Sanchez.
- Agents drove unmarked vehicles with no marked clothing — Sanchez had no way of knowing he was being watched.
- Sanchez was pulled over at gunpoint for a wide right turn. The agent conceded this is not normal procedure. Sanchez was cooperative.
- A Denton PD officer falsely told other officers that Sanchez was a murder suspect and that there was an IED. The surveillance agent confirmed: “None of that was true.”
- No Miranda rights were read. The agent maintained Sanchez was “detained, not arrested,” but the defense pressed the point that being pulled from a vehicle at gunpoint constitutes arrest.
- Agents abandoned surveillance of the apartment — and the box they feared contained explosives — for approximately 10 minutes in order to follow Sanchez. Defense: “So you were afraid there were bombs in this box and you left it for ten minutes unattended on a porch.”
- Sanchez was open about his wife’s involvement and the situation.
- The agent acknowledged that Sanchez employed some evasive driving maneuvers, but conceded on redirect that the surveillance team, not Sanchez, wrote up the evasive maneuver report — the agent himself did not document any such maneuvers.
Witness: FBI Agent Jasmine Curtis — Special Agent since 2023
Agent Curtis was involved in searches of the Denton apartment (117 East Prairie Street), Benjamin Song’s white Mercedes, and the Meadow Creek apartment.
Direct Examination: The prosecution walked through evidence from each search location:
Denton Apartment (Prairie Street): Exhibit 72 admitted — photos of box contents including pamphlets, flyers, books, and political posters. A “Fuck La Migra” poster, Bolshevik Revolution book, and an Emma Goldman Book Club laptop sticker were identified. The box was found in a closet. The apartment appeared messy; the witness confirmed the FBI did not cause the mess.
White Mercedes (Song’s vehicle): Searched July 9th at Dallas FBI HQ. Exhibit 77 admitted. Items found: Know Your Rights cards, a boarding pass, zines, a Chingala Migra hoodie. Exhibit 193 (receipts) admitted.
Meadow Creek Apartment: Search warrant executed July 15th. Exhibit 85 admitted. Firearms seized. Items associated with Benjamin Song identified. Ballistic vest found. Intel about a person in a blonde wig photographed. SRA materials confirmed present. Exhibits 88-90 (firearms), Exhibit 87 (AR-15) admitted. Also identified: gas masks, first aid kit, tactical bandages, earmuffs, Emma Goldman pamphlets, passports for Meagan Morris, “Bash Fascism” zine.
Cross-Examination: Defense scored multiple points:
- Agent Curtis did not know if the FBI conducted bomb disposal procedures before agents entered the apartment, despite the claim that an IED was suspected. She didn’t recall if explosive K-9s were used and suggested “maybe a robot.”
- No notebooks were sent to the FBI Handwriting Lab. Curtis said: “That’s not my job.”
- No DNA testing was done — gloves were not changed between exhibits, creating potential cross-contamination. The agent acknowledged this was “possible” but said they were “not collecting for biological evidence.”
- No items in the box were illegal. No bombs, no illegal guns.
- Curtis could not confirm that all items in the box were present before it entered the apartment: “No.”
- Chris Cox was a resident of the Denton apartment but was never arrested.
- Curtis could not identify who owned the apartment or confirm Sanchez lived there.
Defense also established that Curtis did not know who Emma Goldman was, that the Emma Goldman Book Club sticker was not illegal, and that Savanna Batten runs the Emma Goldman Book Club. Curtis conceded nothing in the car was illegal.
On redirect, the prosecution got Curtis to confirm that the word “anarchism” and “anti-ICE” themes were familiar from the case and that she was not searching indiscriminately. On recross, Curtis confirmed the ammo can with a string, initially suspected as a possible IED, was not an explosive. She also contradicted herself on whether she was looking for any pamphlets or specific pamphlets, eventually saying “but yeah, we could take any pamphlets.” Defense asked: “Including canning and fermenting pamphlets?”
Witness: FBI Agent Rebecca Chin — Special Agent, Financial Crimes Unit (2.5 years)
Agent Chin assisted with the warrantless search of a white Chevy pickup truck at the Denton PD location on July 6, 2025.
Direct Examination: Chin identified items from the truck: an accordion file, a “Chinga La Migra” zip-up hoodie found in a trash bag, stickers (including antifascist stickers), a black bandana, and mail identifying the truck’s owner. Exhibit 190 admitted.
Cross-Examination: Defense established the critical point: no search warrant was ever obtained for the truck. Chin confirmed there was no warrant. She was not present when Sanchez was arrested and had no firsthand knowledge of the stop. Asked what she was looking for, Chin stated: “Anti-ICE, anti-police things.” Chin’s regular assignment is financial crimes; she acknowledged she was brought in to assist other squads.
Defense walked through items: a tattoo pricing poster, file folders on ecology and animal liberation, art, a vase of flowers (“I wasn’t sure so I just took the photo”), and 2023 immigration documents. Asked if any items were illegal, Chin responded: “No.”
Witness: FBI Agent Carrie Termin — Special Agent (6 years), Public Corruption/Civil Rights
Agent Termin served as evidence response team leader for multiple search warrant executions: July 6th (Garland/Dove Meadow), July 8th (Atlantic Street), July 15th (Meadow Creek).
Direct Examination: Termin described search protocol and identified photos from each location.
Privilege Objection — Exhibit 65, Page 3: Defense objected that a page in the search evidence contained attorney-client privileged communications (Rule 502). The page reportedly contained text reading “confidential attorney client record.” Sanchez’s attorney agreed with the objection. Judge Pittman said: “I don’t have time to digest this.” The prosecution removed Page 3 from the exhibit. The jury was briefly dismissed and returned. Ruling effectively punted — the witness can be recalled.
On the search parameters, Termin testified: “First go by what the search warrant says — it would be pamphlets, propaganda, anti-ICE, anti-LE, anarchy.” She confirmed they were also told to look for “anti-government” and “antifa” materials, as well as “identities of residents” and “people of interest.”
Atlantic Street Search (July 8th, 1931 Atlantic St Apt A, Dallas): Mercedes registration belonging to Benjamin Song. Purple zine identified. IDs for multiple individuals found. Extensive firearms displayed for the jury — Exhibits 93-105 included rifles, a Glock, a revolver (defense noted it appeared to be an antique/curio firearm), long guns, ballistic plates, ballistic shields, and ballistic vests. The prosecutor held up a rifle with the muzzle pointed at the audience and jurors.
Cross-Examination (Rachel Taft): Termin did not take the photos at Dove Meadow. She did not know how many people lived at the residences. She did not know if surveillance was conducted before the warrant was obtained. Defense showed items in the exhibit that had nothing to do with the case: a bill of sale for a motor vehicle, a to-do list from October 2023, a document dated January 2024. Termin admitted she did not know what was relevant. No items in Exhibit 65 were illegal.
Witness: FBI Agent Imming [phonetic] — Special Agent (14 years), Violent Crimes Unit
Agent Imming searched 772 Fernwood, Fort Worth, on July 6, 2025. He could not recall whose residence it was.
Direct Examination: The residence was cleared by bomb technicians before the search. Imming noted the house appeared as if the occupants had scrambled to leave. A green pamphlet was the “#1 item of interest.” Four items were recovered: 2 fireworks, a pamphlet, and a cell phone. Exhibit 63 admitted.
Cross-Examination: Defense established: no firearms found, no ammunition found. The fireworks were consumer-grade — “like any kind you can buy” at a fireworks stand. Animals had been removed from the home. Defense attorney Taft asked about bunny accessories on the floor and noted: “Bunnies like to play in boxes.” The agent responded: “I did not know that.” Nothing found was illegal.
Witness: FBI Agent Kasey Bennett — Special Agent since 2023, Terrorism Squad
Bennett is the case agent for Daniel Sanchez Estrada. This was the most substantive witness of the day.
Direct Examination: Exhibit 71 admitted — items seized from the box at Prairie Street. Bennett described the Prairieland incident: “A group of individuals came to the Prairieland detention facility, a cop was shot, property was vandalized.” Evidence included masks, spray paint, and fireworks.
Bennett identified materials attributed to Sanchez: his tattoo artist moniker “Revol,” journals and drawings, a periodic table drawing. A card from a child in Maricela Rueda’s class was shown (“thank you Mrs. Sanchez for teaching us hip hop”). Bennett testified the phone call led agents to track the box.
Bennett explained ACAB (“All Cops Are Bastards” / 1312) and identified insurgency zines. She attributed handwriting in documents to Sanchez, including a critique of a document by Ines Soto — though she acknowledged she is not a handwriting expert. She identified journals belonging to Maricela Rueda (marked “MR”) and other journals with Sanchez’s drawings and moniker.
Bennett described Antifa symbols as originating from “an old German antifascist group.” She identified a drawing of President Trump with a swastika, stating: “He is a Nazi… has dislike for President Trump.”
The prosecution’s key line of questioning: “Is this his First Amendment right?” Bennett: “Yes.” “So why seize it?” Bennett: “Shows a group of people sharing an ideology — might lead us to intent behind the attack. Shows connection between individuals. When a number of people are involved — conspiracy.” She confirmed that “abolish all police” means anarchy, and that reviewing evidence like this is “typical for terrorism cases.”
Cross-Examination: Defense systematically dismantled the ideological evidence:
- All items in the box were legal. “Inside the box, no” — nothing illegal.
- Zines are freely available online.
- The literature is “not Antifa” exclusively — could be called anarchist, feminist, animal liberation, anti-Trump. Bennett agreed: “People can have many ideologies.”
- The child’s thank-you letter addressed “Mrs. Sanchez” — but Rueda never took Sanchez’s name. Defense suggested it could have been his sister or a child’s error. Bennett: “I’m not going to assume the child was wrong.” Defense: “But you’re assuming.”
- The closest date on materials in the box was 2021. Bennett agreed it was “possible” the box was packed in 2021 and never reopened.
- Bennett could not say whether Sanchez set the box down on the porch — “not to my knowledge.” Surveillance agents lost visual for 10 minutes. The box sat in the apartment for approximately 4 hours. Bennett could not rule out that Chris Cox or others placed items in the box.
- None of the items were found at the Prairieland detention center.
- The journals and materials do not describe or reference the Prairieland attack.
- Bennett could not answer how long someone would need to wait after an arrest to move belongings without it being considered evidence tampering.
Cross (Autumn Hill’s Attorney — Cody Cofer): Established that there is no evidence Autumn Hill ever saw any of the seized literature. An article about a noise demonstration using fireworks outside a detention facility was read into the record — it described shooting fireworks “in solidarity with inmates.” Bennett confirmed she did not know if such an event occurred at Prairieland.
Redirect (Prosecution): Pointed to a line on a zine: “for the destruction of all prisons.” Also introduced letters from Dove Meadow showing Sanchez and Rueda have known each other since at least 2017 (a letter to “Des” signed “Mari” dated 8/21/17, and an envelope postmarked November 7, 2019).
Cross (Clayton for Rueda): Established that a love letter and a letter from a mother have nothing to do with the Prairieland detention center. Defense asked: “Was there a single time in any document where [Rueda] was called Miss Sanchez?” Bennett: “Not that I know of.”
Witness: FBI Task Force Officer Brandon Snyder — Mesquite PD (since 2000), Violent Crime Task Force
Snyder executed a search warrant on Maricela Rueda’s white 2014 Jeep at the Dallas FBI office. Exhibit 175 (13 pages) admitted. He also conducted surveillance at the Garland/Dove Meadow address.
Direct Examination: Items found in the Jeep: anti-Zionist literature (prosecution characterized as “anti-government”), a can of pepper spray, a cell phone, and zines including one reading “Visualize Industrial Collapse.”
Cross-Examination: “Any items illegal?” — “In and of themselves, no.” “Inherently dangerous?” — “Other than pepper gel, no.” No firearms found. Witness excused.
Witness: FBI Photographer Diane Lane — 28 years, Oklahoma City Office
Lane was team leader for evidence collection at the Soto residences and assisted with the search of Zachary Evetts’s residence.
Direct Examination: Exhibits 78-79 offered.
Objection (Rules 401, 403, 404): Defense objected to pages 17-29, 32-34, 36-39, and page 79 — photographs of zines seized at different locations. Defense argued lack of notice under Rule 404(a) and (b). Prosecution argued the materials are direct evidence of crime that “connects them and proves intent.” Judge Pittman overruled all objections. Court admitted pages 1-59, 78, and 79.
Soto Residence (Savanna Batten’s home): Printers found in the garage (one appeared to be actively printing). Backpacks, loaded magazines, walkie-talkies, radios, anarchy pamphlets, ACAB stickers and flag with burning police car. “The Invisible Committee” notebook. Email addresses for Ines Soto and Savanna Batten. A map, mace gel, spray paint. Protonmail passwords and usernames in a notepad. Exhibit 194 admitted — DFW Antifa paper, “Fuck the Police” paper. Stickers: ACAB, Emma Goldman Book Club, Stop Cop City. No firearms were found at this residence.
Zachary Evetts’s Residence (1372 Wildflower): Exhibit 83 admitted. Items found in a gun safe (combination provided by Evetts’s wife, who was not under arrest): rifles, shotgun, ammunition, loaded magazines, body armor. Also found: patrolling worksheets (“Security and Control,” “React to Drones”), spray paint, slap cuffs, weapon utility belt, walkie-talkies, passport, ballistic vests (5 total), black and red flags, plates for ballistic vests. A leaflet reading “ICE is kidnapping our neighbors — who is next?” was identified.
Cross-Examination: Defense asked Lane if any items found at Evetts’s residence were illegal. Lane: “Couldn’t tell you.” Lane did not know if the firearms were legal under the Second Amendment. Defense pressed on airsoft/toy guns — after a lengthy pause reviewing the evidence log, Lane confirmed no toy guns were seized but could not say whether any were found and left behind. She acknowledged this was significant because “it is important to document everything.” Defense established that someone selected the most incriminating photos from a larger set of over 50 to present in court. Lane confirmed she was not aware of the Stop Cop City campaign. Lane confirmed items as photographed did not reflect how they were originally found — they had been arranged.
More Cross: Lane could not confirm SRA materials were in her exhibit photos, though she believed some were found. She had prepped for testimony with the government attorney. Regarding the Soto residence: “No idea” whether items connected to the Prairieland detention center. “I was there to help with 2 searches and don’t know anything about the case.”
Incidents and Atmosphere
- Juror sleeping: Note-taker KA observed a juror sleeping during the afternoon session — back row, second from the end.
- Rifle pointed at audience: During the display of firearms from the Atlantic Street search, the prosecutor held up a rifle with the muzzle pointing at the audience and jurors.
- Prosecution previewed schedule: Witnesses tomorrow include Van Horn, Grant, Williamson, and Agent McGuire. Cooperators expected after lunch tomorrow through Thursday.
- Pattern of overruling defense objections: Multiple note-takers flagged that Judge Pittman consistently overruled defense objections throughout the day, with one noting he was “not kind to defense objections.” One of the few sustained objections was on a leading question during Termin’s testimony.
- Volume of ideological evidence: The day was dominated by the prosecution displaying political materials — zines, stickers, flags, pamphlets — from multiple residences. The audio note-taker summarized: “What was on trial today is the concepts of anarchy, Antifa — the very ideology itself is on trial. And the evidence for this ideology are the zines, are the stickers.”
- The box was never opened in court. Despite extensive testimony about the box Sanchez allegedly carried, the prosecution pointed at it repeatedly but never opened it or displayed its contents directly. Per the audio note-taker: “They never open the fucking box.”