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DHS: Virginia Beach Assistant Principal and Brother Charged in Alleged Plot to Ambush ICE Agents

09:09 PM, 11/26/2025

Two Virginia Beach men — an assistant high school principal and his brother — were arrested after an off‑duty Norfolk officer reportedly overheard them plotting to ambush ICE agents. They were arrested at airports two days after the alleged conversation and are charged with conspiracy to commit malicious wounding. Homeland Security Investigations is handling the case, which officials say reflects a reported surge in threats against ICE personnel as the investigation continues.

Department of Homeland Security officials say an assistant high school principal in Virginia Beach and his brother have been arrested after an off‑duty police officer allegedly overheard plans to attack Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is leading the investigation into the alleged plot.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the suspects, identified as Kempsville High School assistant principal John Wilson Bennett and his older brother Mark Booth Bennett, were overheard on Nov. 17 at a Vietnamese restaurant in Virginia Beach discussing travel to Nevada and plans to target ICE officers. McLaughlin described details of the conversation as "chilling," including comments about obtaining a high‑caliber rifle capable of penetrating law enforcement body armor.

Arrests and charges

According to authorities, an off‑duty Norfolk police officer reported the conversation to federal investigators. Two days later, federal agents arrested Mark Bennett at Norfolk International Airport as he was en route to Charlotte to connect to a flight to Las Vegas; John Bennett was arrested the same day. Both men have been charged with conspiracy to commit malicious wounding and remain in custody as the case proceeds.

Context and statements

McLaughlin placed the alleged plot in the context of what she described as a sharp rise in threats and violence directed at ICE personnel, citing a reported more‑than 1,150% increase in assaults and an 8,000‑fold spike in death threats against agents. She said officers face heightened risks while conducting enforcement operations.

John Bennett has been on the Kempsville High School faculty since 2009 and is currently on leave, the school said. The arrests and charges are under federal investigation by HSI with partner agencies.

Defense response: Mark Bennett’s attorney, Happy O’Brien, disputed the account of the restaurant conversation and told local reporters his client was traveling to Nevada to attend a Formula One event with his child. O’Brien compared the overheard remarks to light, aimless banter rather than a concrete plan.

The investigation is ongoing and federal prosecutors will determine next steps as the case moves through the courts.

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