Police in Virginia Beach arrested Kempsville High School assistant principal John W. Bennett, 54, and his brother Mark B. Bennett, 59, after an off-duty officer reported overhearing them discuss violent acts against federal immigration agents. Both men were charged with conspiracy to commit malicious wounding, authorities said.
Authorities arrested the Bennett brothers on Wednesday, Nov. 19, following an investigation that began when an off-duty Norfolk police officer reported overhearing them at a Virginia Beach restaurant on Saturday, Nov. 15, according to a criminal complaint cited by local news outlets. The complaint alleges the men discussed claims that ICE agents were “kidnapping individuals,” talked about meeting “like‑minded” people in Las Vegas, and referenced a recently purchased rifle described as capable of firing rounds that could penetrate body armor. One brother allegedly said he wanted to “go hunting,” the documents state. (wtvr.com)
Police took the men into custody on Wednesday. Mark Bennett was arrested at Norfolk International Airport; John Bennett was arrested in Virginia Beach about an hour later, according to reporting carried by the Virginian‑Pilot. WTVR, citing police, reported both arrests occurred at the airport. Each man faces one count of conspiracy to commit malicious wounding. (yahoo.com)
John Bennett is an assistant principal at Kempsville High School and has worked for Virginia Beach City Public Schools since 2009; the district says he is on leave. Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul W. Neudigate called the allegations “incredibly alarming” and said the department worked with other agencies to assess the credibility of the information before making the arrests. (wtvr.com)
Bond and conditions: WAVY reported that a judge granted each brother a $25,000 bond on Thursday and ordered them to wear GPS monitors and have no contact with each other while the case proceeds. (dailywire.com)
Context: The arrests come amid heightened attention to threats and violence involving immigration enforcement. In late September, a gunman opened fire from a rooftop at ICE’s Dallas field office, killing one detainee at the scene and fatally wounding another; the suspect died by suicide, officials said. Separately, federal authorities charged multiple suspects in an alleged July 4 ambush outside ICE’s Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, that left a local police officer shot in the neck. (apnews.com)
The Department of Homeland Security has said assaults on ICE officers rose sharply in 2025 compared with 2024—first citing an 830% increase mid‑July and later describing a roughly 1,000% increase as the year progressed. Those figures are DHS assertions; independent national tallies are limited. (dhs.gov)
