A Texas man accused of planning to shoot up the state Capitol was booked earlier than daybreak Wednesday and, in keeping with county jail information, walked out on a $75,000 bond earlier than most of Austin had completed espresso.
Benny Caldera Jr., 40, of Converse, northeast of San Antonio, was taken from his dwelling round 3 a.m. Wednesday by Texas Division of Public Security SWAT after DPS obtained a tip Tuesday a few violent assault deliberate for Thursday, October 1.
He was charged with felony terroristic menace in opposition to a public servant and hauled to the Bexar County Jail.
In keeping with the Washington Examiner, jail information confirmed him launched on that $75,000 bond simply earlier than 7 a.m., roughly 4 hours after the raid, and was positioned on pretrial supervision.
According to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, an arrest-warrant affidavit says a buddy instructed DPS that Caldera had made verbal threats to assault the Texas State Capitol, instructed him “I really like you, in case you don’t see me once more,” after which stated, “I’m going to the Capitol and I’m going to shoot it up.”
The identical paperwork say Caldera was offended at AIPAC and declared that “these individuals need to be exterminated.”
Bexar County information additionally present a previous unlicensed-carrying-a-weapon cost from November 2023, NBC 5 reported.
A person with a weapons case on his sheet, accused of planning a Capitol capturing, and the quantity on the bond sheet was $75,000.
State Sen. Tan Parker, a Flower Mound Republican, didn’t gown it up. “Let me get this straight: a person accused of plotting an assault on the Texas Capitol, with a previous weapons cost, was arrested at 3 a.m. and bonded out the identical morning. $75,000? That’s a joke,” Parker wrote, including that the individuals who allowed it “ought to be ashamed of themselves and faraway from workplace.”
Let me get this straight: a person accused of plotting an assault on the Texas Capitol, with a previous weapons cost, was arrested at 3 a.m. and bonded out the identical morning. $75,000? That’s a joke. This man is a hazard to each Texan who walks by way of these doorways and to communities…
— Senator Tan Parker (@TanParkerTX) October 1, 2026
DPS says he by no means really walked free. The jail log instructed a special story.
The cleanup got here later. The Texas Tribune reported that DPS spokesperson Sheridan Nolen insisted on-line there was “numerous misinformation” a few bond launch and that the FBI re-arrested Caldera on federal prices and moved him into federal custody.
A number of misinformation circulating on-line.
To be clear, Caldera is NOT out on bond. He was transferred to the FBI to be held in federal custody.
There is no such thing as a cause to consider there’s an ongoing menace to the Texas State Capitol. https://t.co/iswq4yFvI7
— Sheridan Nolen (@sheridannolen) October 1, 2026
NBC 5 stated the FBI took him on the Bexar County Jail Wednesday night on these extra federal prices, and that he was launched from the county jail into federal custody. Parker later up to date that the $75,000 bond “didn’t get him far” and {that a} federal warrant put him again behind bars.
UPDATE: That $75K bond didn’t get him far. Fortunately, he’s again in custody on a federal warrant. Thanks to our @TxDPS heroes for placing within the additional work with our federal companions to maintain him behind bars the place he belongs. Subsequent session, I’m submitting laws to slam this… https://t.co/57pI8Jbi0C
— Senator Tan Parker (@TanParkerTX) October 1, 2026
An inner e-mail from Secretary of the Senate Patsy Spaw, obtained by the Tribune, known as Caldera the “predominant suspect” in a deliberate Thursday assault and referred to suspected co-conspirators. DPS’s public assertion didn’t identify anybody else. The company later stated there isn’t any cause to consider an ongoing menace stays, and that the Capitol stayed open with an elevated DPS presence.
Fox Information reported that FBI Director Kash Patel credited the velocity of the takedown: “Inside HOURS of the tip, @TxDPS had the primary suspect in custody — with @FBISanAntonio and native law enforcement aiding. Threaten Individuals or our establishments and legislation enforcement will transfer FAST.” Governor Greg Abbott posted that “Texas DPS and the FBI stopped a deliberate assault on the Texas Capitol. Texas will NOT tolerate threats of violence in opposition to our Capitol.”
Excellent work by @TxDPS. Happy with our @FBISanAntonio crew for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our state and native companions.
Inside HOURS of the tip, @TxDPS had the primary suspect in custody — with @FBISanAntonio and native legislation enforcement aiding
Threaten Individuals or our… pic.twitter.com/neg82hEhWW
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 30, 2026
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