Texas man accused of plot to attack state Capitol, was reportedly mad at AIPAC

AUSTIN, Texas — A 40-year-old man was arrested in Texas early Wednesday on suspicion of plotting to attack the state Capitol, authorities said, in an act reportedly motivated by anger at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby group.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said in a statement that it received “credible information about an individual planning a violent attack” for Thursday in Austin. Officials did not provide details about the alleged plot, citing an ongoing investigation.

The tip came in Tuesday evening, and SWAT officers made the arrest at about 3 a.m. Wednesday at a residence in Converse, near San Antonio.

Benny Caldera Jr. was charged with making a terroristic threat against a public servant, a felony, the DPS statement said. He made bond, according to online court records in Bexar County, but DPS said later Wednesday that Caldera was in federal custody after being arrested by the FBI to face additional federal charges.

DPS did not provide further details, and the FBI’s San Antonio press office did not immediately respond to an email late Wednesday seeking comment.

Messages were left seeking comment from John Bunk, an attorney listed for Caldera.

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.https://t.co/dZBHD037sl

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 30, 2026

DPS notified state lawmakers about the threat and arrest early Wednesday. The Capitol remained open during regular operating hours.

Gov. Greg Abbott said DPS was assisted by the FBI in making the arrest.

“Texas will NOT tolerate threats of violence against our Capitol,” the governor said in a statement on social media.

Officials did not provide details about the alleged plot, citing the ongoing investigation. But an arrest warrant affidavit cited by NBC News quoted a friend of Caldera who said he was angry at the AIPAC, and believed that “these people have to be exterminated.”

He also reportedly said: “I am going to the Capitol and I am going to shoot it up.”

AIPAC, which once enjoyed broad support from both sides of the aisle, has seen its standing fall in American politics as Americans have grown increasingly hostile toward Israel, amid the war in Gaza and the subsequent conflicts in Lebanon and Iran.

Critics say the demonization of AIPAC is linked to age-old antisemitic tropes about Jewish wealth and Jews wielding outsize power in politics.