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Mark Bennett was allegedly planning to travel to Las Vegas to obtain weapons which could carry explosive rounds
Owen ScottFriday 28 November 2025 16:08 GMT
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An assistant high school principal and his brother have been arrested after allegedly plotting to kill police officers and ICE agents in Las Vegas, according to federal officials.
John and Mark Bennett were taken into custody by authorities after a police officer overheard them speaking about the scheme on November 17, feds say.
A statement released by the Department of Homeland Security said Mark Bennett had been planning to “purchase firearms with explosive rounds to carry out the attacks,” on ICE agents.
A criminal complaint, seen by WTKR, claims that the off-duty police officer overheard the pair talking about the plot at a restaurant in Virginia Beach.
The officer said the men were speaking about “how ICE agents are kidnapping individuals and that they needed to do something about it.”
open image in galleryJohn Bennett (left) and his brother Mark have been arrested for allegedly planning to attack ICE agents (DHS)Mark Bennett was cuffed two days later at Norfolk International Airport in Virginia, where he was preparing to journey to Las Vegas.
According to the DHS statement, he was allegedly travelling to Nevada’s entertainment capital to meet with like-minded people who could provide him with “enforcement ideas and plans.”
John Bennett, an assistant principal at Kempsville High School, was arrested in Virginia Beach and placed on leave by the school district shortly after.
Both men have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit malicious wounding, according to the criminal complaint.
Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, claimed that the pair had also planned to obtain rifles that could pierce bulletproof vests.
“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 enforcement’s bulletproof vests,” McLaughlin said in the DHS statement. “Thanks to Homeland Security Investigations and our partners, these men are behind bars.”
open image in galleryJohn Bennett was an assistant teacher at Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach (Google Streetview)Paul Neudigate, the Chief of the Virginia Beach Police Department, said that the alleged crime was “incredibly alarming.”
“VBPD was able to work with various law enforcement agencies to assess the credibility of the information, leading to today’s arrests ensuring the safety of both our law enforcement community and the public at large,” he added, in a statement seen by WTKR.
The news comes amid a crackdown on immigration by Donald Trump, who has sent the National Guard to major cities, including Los Angeles and Portland, to support the efforts of ICE Agents.
After the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington D.C., he has pledged to ramp up these efforts and claimed that he is planning to “permanently pause migration from all third world countries.”
