Federal Prosecutors Target “Antifa” Activists in Minnesota and Detroit

In February 2024, federal prosecutors filed an indictment charging Kyle Wagner—who identifies online as “Antifa Kyle”—with one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate threats. The indictment links Wagner to a dispute with far-right activist Jayden Scott that began in January 2024, alleging that Wagner posted Scott’s home address and urged strangers to “knock on strangers’ doors.” The same prosecutorial effort later expanded to a separate case in Minneapolis that names fifteen defendants, collectively referred to by media as the “Minnesota 15.” Both cases are presented as part of the Justice Department’s effort to pursue material-support-for-terrorism charges against activists.

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The prosecutions arise amid the Justice Department’s implementation of NSPM-7, a directive from the Trump administration that encourages federal law-enforcement agencies to treat a broad range of extremist beliefs as potential domestic-terrorism indicators. Joint Task Force Vanguard, staffed by a gang prosecutor and a terrorism prosecutor, is tasked with operationalizing this policy. The Minnesota case unfolded against a backdrop of an intensified ICE crackdown in Minneapolis, which sparked large-scale anti-immigration protests and heightened tensions between left-leaning activists and far-right groups.

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• Kyle Wagner – Charged with cyberstalking and interstate threats; identified himself as “Antifa Kyle.”

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• Jayden Scott – Far-right activist who traveled to Minneapolis in January 2024 for an “anti-Islam, anti-Somali takeover” demonstration; later threatened Wagner with the death penalty and called for a public hanging. Scott has eight prior convictions ranging from identity theft to assault.

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• Jake Lang – January 6 defendant cited in the Minneapolis indictment; posted a $250,000 bond in Texas after a separate threat case and received a 180-day suspended sentence for a misdemeanor related to a Jan. 6 anniversary event.

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• Minnesota 15 – Fifteen anti-ICE protesters charged under broad conspiracy statutes typically reserved for gang and drug-distribution cases.

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U.S. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office declined to comment on Scott’s alleged cooperation with Homeland Security Investigations. Wagner’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment, and ICE did not return inquiries.

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Far-right activists, including Scott, have publicly called for Wagner’s execution, urging a “public hanging” to send a message to “communists.” Scott also claimed that his team supplied information to federal investigators, though officials have not confirmed whether any of his material influenced the Wagner indictment. Critics argue that the Justice Department’s use of expansive conspiracy charges blurs the line between genuine terrorism threats and political protest, raising concerns about selective enforcement.

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