A Texas police officer was shot in the neck late Thursday night during what authorities believe was a coordinated ambush outside the Prairieland ICE Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas. The incident unfolded just before 11 p.m. when officers from the Alvarado Police Department responded to reports of a suspicious person near the federal facility. As officers approached what appeared to be an armed individual, multiple suspects reportedly opened fire, striking one officer in the neck.

The officer was airlifted to a hospital in Fort Worth, treated, and later released, according to the Alvarado police. Law enforcement quickly moved to secure the area and arrested multiple armed suspects attempting to flee. A federal source told CBS News that eight individuals were taken into custody, with some reportedly wearing body armor during the attack. Officials are still investigating the motive behind the apparent ambush.

Early reports suggest more than a dozen masked individuals dressed in black arrived at the ICE facility, vandalizing vehicles and surveillance equipment while launching fireworks to draw officers into what appears to have been a planned trap. Local officers, supported by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, responded and worked together to apprehend the suspects.

The Department of Justice released a statement on Saturday indicating it is “closely monitoring the attacks on DHS facilities in Prairieland, TX, and Portland, OR,” while coordinating with law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the department has “zero tolerance for assaults on federal officers or property and will bring the full weight of the law against those responsible.”

The FBI has not provided direct comment on the incident, but Alvarado police have urged anyone with additional information to call 817-790-0919 as the investigation remains active. The shooting comes amid heightened tensions nationwide over immigration enforcement, with ICE facilities and personnel increasingly targeted by protests and violence in recent months.

The Prairieland ICE Detention Facility is a holding site for non-citizens pending immigration proceedings, and authorities have emphasized that attacks on officers and federal property will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.