It turns out that launching explosives at federal buildings and shooting cops on the Fourth of July carries some pretty hefty consequences. A federal judge in Texas just handed down a collective 450 years in federal prison to eight far-left rioters who prosecutors say have ties to the infamous North Texas Antifa Cell. The group decided to celebrate Independence Day last summer by turning a Texas immigration detention center into a war zone, and now they have plenty of time behind bars to think about their choices.

Leading the larping squad was Benjamin Hanil Song, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist who apparently forgot his oath and decided to play revolutionary. Song was convicted of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, and obstruction. He was rewarded with a cool 100-year sentence. Song tried to claim in a written statement that he only shot because he thought the cop was going to shoot a protester, while his mom, Hope Song, offered up some classic cope, claiming he didn't shoot anyone and didn't mean to hurt a soul. The judge, shockingly, did not buy it.

The rest of the crew also received massive reality checks. Maricela Rueda got hit with 70 years. Cameron Arnold (who goes by Autumn Hill), Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, Bradford Morris (who goes by Meagan Morris), and Elizabeth Soto were all handed 50 years each. Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada got a light 30 years. A ninth member, Ines Soto, is waiting for her turn on July 1, alongside seven other geniuses who pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists.

The Department of Justice laid out the play-by-play of the July 4th incident at the Prairieland facility south of Dallas. The Antifa operatives showed up armed with fireworks, which they proceeded to hurl at the building, while also smashing up cars and wrecking a guard kiosk. The climax of their brilliant plan was shooting an actual law enforcement officer. Surveillance cameras captured the entire fireworks show, providing the feds with all the footage they needed to secure their convictions.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche didn't mince words, stating that "Antifa terrorists" who attack law enforcement and federal facilities will face "swift and uncompromising justice." The DOJ noted that this North Texas cell is part of a larger network of basement-dwellers who subscribe to an ideology calling for the overthrow of the U.S. government, law enforcement, and the entire system of law. This crackdown follows President Donald Trump’s executive order last September officially labeling Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.

Naturally, the defendants’ families and supporters are crying foul, claiming the 450-year collective sentence is "unduly harsh." They tried to argue that they were just attending a "noise demonstration" to support immigrants, and that they had no actual ties to Antifa. Leftist critics are also trying the classic "Antifa is just an idea, not a group" defense, arguing that subscribing to an ideology isn't a crime. Well, their "idea" just earned them decades in a federal penitentiary.

The federal judge put a neat bow on the trial, calling the Independence Day riot "an assault on democracy." The Prairieland facility had previously been a quiet spot, free from the typical high-profile circus visits of Democratic lawmakers and activists. That quiet streak ended last summer, but thanks to some swift federal justice, the rioters won't be planning any more holiday fireworks shows for a very, very long time.

Sources: - U.S. Department of Justice - U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas - Executive Office of the President of the United States