A 40-year-old Texas man was arrested and later moved into federal custody after authorities said he plotted a violent attack on the state Capitol, a threat stopped within hours.
Benny Caldera Jr. was taken into custody early Wednesday at his home in Converse, near San Antonio, after the Texas Department of Public Safety received what it called credible information about a planned strike on the Capitol.
Fox News reported that DPS special agents, working with the FBI and local law enforcement, moved quickly on the tip. DPS SWAT made the arrest around 3 a.m. Wednesday. Caldera, described by DPS as the main suspect, was charged with the felony offense of making a terroristic threat against a public servant.
The alleged attack was set for Thursday. DPS said it got the tip on Tuesday. The Capitol stayed open for normal hours while the agency boosted its presence to protect employees, officials, and visitors. Legislators were notified. The incident remains under investigation.
Caldera was first booked into Bexar County Jail and released on a $75,000 bond. That release did not last.
The Washington Examiner reported he was arrested at 3 a.m. at his home northeast of San Antonio and walked free from the jail on that bond just before 7 a.m. Later Wednesday, the FBI arrested him again at the same jail on additional federal charges and took him into federal custody, where he remains.
DPS spokesperson Kevin Cooper told Fox News Digital the sequence in plain terms.
"Late this evening, Benny Caldera Jr., 40, was arrested by the FBI at the Bexar Co. Jail to face additional federal charges in connection with a possible planned attack at the Texas State Capitol. Caldera Jr. was then released from the Bexar Co. Jail into federal custody, where he will remain. For questions about the federal case, we would direct you to the FBI,"
Specifics of the alleged plot, the tip itself, any motive, and the exact federal charges have not been released. DPS has not publicly named other suspects.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the stop on the threat and made the state’s position clear.
"Texas DPS and the FBI stopped a planned attack on the Texas Capitol. Texas will NOT tolerate threats of violence against our Capitol. Thank you, @TxDPS, for a job well done,"
The New York Post noted the same zero-tolerance line from Abbott and the joint DPS-FBI response after the Tuesday evening tip, with SWAT moving in the early hours and security raised at the Capitol while it stayed open.
FBI Director Kash Patel highlighted the speed.
"Outstanding work by @TxDPS. Proud of our @FBISanAntonio team for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our state and local partners. Within HOURS of the tip, @TxDPS had the main suspect in custody, with @FBISanAntonio and local law enforcement assisting. Threaten Americans or our institutions and law enforcement will move FAST,"
Breitbart also reported the arrest of the man accused of plotting the Capitol attack, matching the core account from state and federal partners.
DPS said the building would keep regular hours. The agency also said it would keep a heavier footprint on site. That choice puts public access and security side by side while the case moves forward in both state and federal channels.
Caldera’s path from a 3 a.m. SWAT arrest to a same-day bond release and then federal custody shows how quickly the tip turned into action, and how state and federal partners closed ranks once the threat was live. No injuries or damage were reported. The planned Thursday window never arrived.
Threats against the people’s house get met with handcuffs, not hesitation. That is how a free capital stays open and safe.
