Texas DPS and the FBI arrested a Converse man within hours of a tip about a planned attack on the state Capitol in Austin, and officials say no ongoing threat remains.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and the FBI moved fast after receiving information about a credible threat to attack the Texas State Capitol. Early Wednesday morning, DPS SWAT took 40-year-old Benny Caldera Jr. into custody at his residence in Converse without incident.
Caldera faced a charge of terroristic threat against a public servant, then additional federal charges. He remains in federal custody with no bond. DPS raised security at the Capitol in Austin and told the public the immediate danger had been contained.
Randy Clark reported that the tip concerned a planned attack on Thursday, October 1, 2026. DPS treated the information as credible, worked with the FBI to identify the suspect, and tracked limited leads until SWAT located him about 13 miles northeast of San Antonio.
Abbott and Patel credit the rapid joint response
Governor Greg Abbott praised the agencies in a social media post after the early Wednesday arrest.
Abbott stated:
"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."
FBI Director Kash Patel echoed that message on X, highlighting how quickly state and federal partners closed ranks. Patel’s public emphasis on joint security work fits a broader pattern of high-tempo FBI operations, including cases where the bureau seized drones and tracked airspace breaches during major events.
Patel wrote:
"Outstanding work by @TxDPS. Proud of our @FBISanAntonio team for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our state and local partners. Within HOURS of tip, @TxDPS had the main suspect in custody with @FBISanAntonio and local law enforcement assisting."
Friend’s tip and arrest papers spell out the alleged intent
Few official details have been released on motive. Arrest documents and a report from NBC 5 DFW fill in the key claims investigators received.
A friend of Caldera told DPS investigators that Caldera said, “I am going to the Capitol, and I am going to shoot it up.” Arrest documents also state the acquaintance was told Caldera was angry at AIPAIC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and added, “these people have to be exterminated.”
Those alleged statements turned a tip into a full response. DPS and the FBI treated the threat as real, found the suspect at home, and removed him from the street before the stated date of the planned attack.
Capitol-target cases keep landing on the FBI’s plate. In another recent matter, agents charged an Albany woman in an alleged ISIS-inspired Capitol bombing plot after a sting that used undercover operatives.
From Bexar County Jail into federal custody
After the Converse arrest, officers transported Caldera to Bexar County Jail and charged him with terroristic threat against a public servant. The investigation did not stop there.
Late Wednesday evening, the FBI arrested him again at the jail on additional federal charges tied to a possible planned attack at the Texas State Capitol. Jail staff released him into federal custody. He is not out on bond.
DPS issued a late-night status update that made the custody chain plain and addressed public safety directly.
The department stated:
"Benny Caldera was arrested late this evening 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. He is not out on bond. At this time, there is no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat to the Texas State Capitol. DPS will continue an increased posture at the Texas Capitol and encourages ALL Texans to remain vigilant."
That sequence, tip, state custody, federal pickup, no bond, shows agencies treating a threat against a seat of government as a priority, not a paperwork exercise. Similar urgency has marked other Capitol-plot arrests, including when the FBI arrested an Albany woman over an alleged plot against the New York State Capitol.
Security stays elevated while questions remain
As a precaution, DPS increased its posture at the Texas Capitol on Wednesday while the investigation continued. Officials have not described weapons recovered, travel plans, or any co-conspirators beyond the statements already cited.
The public still lacks the full charging language, statute citations, case numbers, and complete arrest-affidavit text. The exact content of the original tip and the full context of the acquaintance’s account have not been released either. What is on the record is the charge, the alleged quotes, the joint arrest timeline, and the transfer into federal hands.
FBI counterterrorism work often draws internal scrutiny as well as public attention. Leadership fights inside the bureau have surfaced before, including when counterterrorism chiefs were demoted after leaders cited a stifled threats probe.
Here the operational picture is clearer: a tip came in, DPS and FBI San Antonio moved within hours, SWAT made a clean arrest, and federal charges followed the same day. Texans got a direct assurance that the Capitol was not under an active ongoing threat, paired with a call to stay alert.
Law-and-order agencies did their job when a threat targeted the people’s house in Austin. Swift custody and zero tolerance for political violence are the baseline free citizens should expect every time.
