Overview
- Texas Department of Public Safety agents arrested 40-year-old Benny Caldera Jr. at about 3 a.m. Wednesday after receiving a tip that he planned a violent attack on the Texas State Capitol.
- Caldera was charged with felony terroristic threat against a public servant, booked into the Bexar County Jail and held on a $75,000 bond according to jail records and reporting.
- DPS special agents worked overnight with the FBI and local law enforcement to identify and arrest the suspect, and the Capitol remained open during regular hours under an increased DPS security posture.
- Officials have released few operational details, said the investigation is ongoing, and investigators are seeking search warrants for the suspect’s devices to learn motive and whether there were co-conspirators.
- DPS notified state lawmakers, asked the public to report suspicious activity through iWatchTexas, and said the case shows how tips and federal-state cooperation can stop planned attacks.