The Texas Department of Public Safety found a "credible" threat to attack the Capitol on Thursday, the agency confirmed in an email.
DPS said the threat was initiated by Benny Caldera Jr., 40, and several co-conspirators who had planned to carry out a "violent attack" on Oct. 1. DPS said they worked with the FBI and local law enforcement to arrest Caldera at his residence in Converse, a city just outside San Antonio, around 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Caldera was transported to the Bexar County Jail and charged with felony terroristic threat against a public servant, DPS said. A $75,000 bond was set for Caldera, according to county documents.
DPS said late Wednesday that the FBI then arrested Caldera at the jail and transferred him into federal custody to face additional federal charges. The agency clarified that 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 said.
Caldera has been charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon in Bexar County in 2023 and 2024, according to county documents.
Gov. Greg Abbott thanked DPS for its work on social media. "Texas will NOT tolerate threats of violence against our Capitol," he said.
The news was first shared in a memo to members of the Texas Senate. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt said there is "speculation that there are other conspirators," but no one else has been charged.
"They don't know anything about motive, who, what, when, where, yet," Bettencourt said. "Literally, just within a few hours of the tip they had the potential perpetrator in custody."
DPS said its investigation into the threat is ongoing and that it will continue to have an increased presence at the Capitol.
KUT's Neena Satija, Andrew Weber and Chelsey Zhu contributed to this report.
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