A school professor with suspected hyperlinks to Antifa — and who believes Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers are Nazis — was arrested in Chicago late final month after he allegedly introduced a loaded gun to an anti-ICE protest.
Elias Cepeda, who’s listed as a college member within the English division at Northeastern Illinois College, was collared on Sept. 26 with a loaded gun and a number of rounds of ammunition on him amid President Trump’s Operation Halfway Blitz crackdown within the Windy Metropolis.
The Division of Homeland Safety alleges Cepeda introduced the loaded firearm with him to an indication exterior an ICE facility in Broadview, In poor health., the location of a number of violent protests.
“Elias Cepeda has suspected ties to the home terrorist group ANTIFA and has a historical past of glorifying violence in opposition to—and the killing of—our courageous regulation enforcement,” mentioned Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in an announcement.
“Violent people like Cepeda are placing the general public and our regulation enforcement’s lives at risk. Simply two days after the horrific assault on ICE in Dallas, Cepeda introduced a loaded gun and a number of magazines to our ICE facility in Chicago,” McLaughlin added.
“Thank God regulation enforcement intervened and arrested Cepeda earlier than he might have doubtlessly shot or killed anybody. Let this function a stark warning to any particular person who needs to do our regulation enforcement hurt or any ANTIFA terrorist: President Trump and Secretary Noem will combat every single day to guard and defend the women and men who hold our nation secure from violent extremists and felony unlawful aliens alike.”
Previous to his arrest, Cepeda had made a number of social media posts calling for violence in opposition to ICE, describing federal brokers as Nazis and referencing Antifa.
“[Y]our Nazi asses are mendacity,” Cepeda wrote on X in June, in response to a DHS submit concerning the arrest of an individual in Los Angeles for allegedly assaulting federal regulation enforcement officers.
“Secondly, we’d all be morally justified in taking your Nazi heads off with weed whackers,” he added.
In a submit made days after President Trump took workplace, Cepeda expressed help for having lecturers “shield kids” from ICE with firearms.
“No that ICE is exhibiting up at elementary faculties with weapons and no warrants making an attempt to terrorize children I’m in favor of lecturers and workers being armed to guard kids,” the professor wrote.
In a Could tweet geared toward DHS, Cepeda wrote, “Shut up, Nazi.”
Cepeda additionally used the “#Antifa” hashtag on a number of tweets in 2020, the place he shared hyperlinks and posts glorifying the Trump-designated home terror group.
In 2022, Cepeda bragged about coaching a Portland-based transgender cage fighter with sympathies for Antifa.
“That’s proper, and I’m damned proud to coach her. You cowards coming for her can come for me as nicely. I’m simple to seek out,” he wrote in response to a submit from unbiased journalist Andy Ngo concerning the blended martial artist.
A brief bio for Cepeda on the Northeastern Illinois College web site describes him as “an expertise journalist” with a background in masking sports activities, writing restaurant opinions, and “writing politically engaged essays.”
“To share his veteran data, Elias created and taught an On-line Summer time course for NEIU in 2020: ENGL 374J: Important Journalism, with a give attention to the position and the politics of the fourth property,” the bio states. “He’s at present on the lookout for a PhD program, limiting himself to merely his prime fifteen decisions.”
Native outlet ABC7 reported instantly after Cepeda’s arrest final month that the he was a volunteer for Pilsen Protection and Entry, a nonprofit that “facilitates entry to self-defense, anti-bullying, and violence prevention coaching and different assets for marginalized households and kids.”
Cepeda was reportedly shot within the face with a less-than-lethal spherical earlier than he was detained, in line with the outlet.
Leila Mendez, Cepeda’s mom, acknowledged that her son was probably armed on the ICE Broadview protest.
“My son has a authorized hid and carry, however he didn’t come to make use of it. His fingers, for those who have a look at the video … are up within the air,” she advised ABC7.
It’s unclear if Cepeda will face fees.
A Chicago grand jury earlier this week refused to indict an engaged couple — Ray Collins, 31, and Jocelyn Robledo, 30 — after they have been arrested for allegedly assaulting federal brokers whereas carrying loaded weapons exterior the ICE Broadview facility.
It’s unclear why the grand jury refused to indict, however federal prosecutors have been pressured to drop their circumstances.
Elias, Pilsen Protection and Entry and Northeastern Illinois College didn’t instantly reply to The Publish’s request for remark.
