A Texas man arrested last July on suspicion of being part of an alleged "Antifa cell" has turned himself in to await trial, claiming that his release from jail was a mistake and that he is innocent. Daniel Sanchez Estrada, 35, had been held without bail for five months after the FBI accused him of moving a box of anarchist zines from one suburb of Dallas to another following a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Estrada's arrest was part of a larger crackdown on protesters who were demonstrating against Trump's immigration policies. The case has raised concerns among civil liberties groups, who have denounced it as "guilt by literature" - the practice of prosecuting someone based on their writings or speech rather than concrete evidence.
After being released from jail without warning or explanation, Estrada spent his first days out enjoying the freedom he had been denied for months. He treated his 12-year-old stepdaughter to ice cream and even got a little ink with freshly tattooed raccoon and opossums - symbols of wild beauty that "have been here even before people," as he put it.
But despite his joy at being free, Estrada knows that the law is still out there waiting for him. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on counts of corruptly concealing a document and conspiracy to conceal documents. His wife, Maricela Rueda, is also facing life imprisonment if convicted.
Estrada claims he was not at the protest where his wife was accused of attending - "I did not participate, I was not aware, nor did I have any knowledge about the events that transpired," he said. However, prosecutors argue that Estrada's actions were part of a larger conspiracy to cause trouble for the detention center.
This case highlights the dangers of government overreach and the erosion of civil liberties in the United States. It also raises questions about what constitutes "anti-American" behavior and how far the law can go in silencing dissenting voices.
As Estrada faces an uncertain future, one thing is clear: he will not be silenced. He says that if his case was any indication, it could happen to anyone - even those who are not involved in protests or activism. "If this is happening to me now, it's only a matter of time before it happens to you," he said.
His words echo the sentiments of many Americans who feel that their rights are being trampled by the government. It's time for the United States to come together and demand better from its leaders - before it's too late.
Estrada's arrest was part of a larger crackdown on protesters who were demonstrating against Trump's immigration policies. The case has raised concerns among civil liberties groups, who have denounced it as "guilt by literature" - the practice of prosecuting someone based on their writings or speech rather than concrete evidence.
After being released from jail without warning or explanation, Estrada spent his first days out enjoying the freedom he had been denied for months. He treated his 12-year-old stepdaughter to ice cream and even got a little ink with freshly tattooed raccoon and opossums - symbols of wild beauty that "have been here even before people," as he put it.
But despite his joy at being free, Estrada knows that the law is still out there waiting for him. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on counts of corruptly concealing a document and conspiracy to conceal documents. His wife, Maricela Rueda, is also facing life imprisonment if convicted.
Estrada claims he was not at the protest where his wife was accused of attending - "I did not participate, I was not aware, nor did I have any knowledge about the events that transpired," he said. However, prosecutors argue that Estrada's actions were part of a larger conspiracy to cause trouble for the detention center.
This case highlights the dangers of government overreach and the erosion of civil liberties in the United States. It also raises questions about what constitutes "anti-American" behavior and how far the law can go in silencing dissenting voices.
As Estrada faces an uncertain future, one thing is clear: he will not be silenced. He says that if his case was any indication, it could happen to anyone - even those who are not involved in protests or activism. "If this is happening to me now, it's only a matter of time before it happens to you," he said.
His words echo the sentiments of many Americans who feel that their rights are being trampled by the government. It's time for the United States to come together and demand better from its leaders - before it's too late.
, like he gets outta jail after 5 months without bail just to treat himself & his stepkid to ice cream 
, I'm pretty sure most ppl would've been all emo & bitter by now. but seriously though, this case is a total red flag 
, the gov't is getting too aggressive w/ these protests & silencing dissenting voices isn't the answer 
. dan's right tho, if he can get picked up like that, who knows what's gonna happen to the rest of us? 
we need 2 talk 2 our leaders about protecting civil liberties & not letting the gov't overstep its bounds 
) 
)
)
)
)
)
oh man I'm still fuming about this case... Daniel Sanchez Estrada was literally held without bail for FIVE MONTHS just because of some alleged zines he allegedly moved around during a protest 
it's like the government is trying to silence anyone who speaks out against their policies. I mean, what constitutes "anti-American" behavior again? 
is it criticizing ICE? is it talking about systemic inequality? 
it's like the system is literally trying to drive people insane! Estrada knows the law is still out there waiting for him, but at least he's standing up for himself and saying "you can't silence me" 
in the US. It's about how our leaders can get away with doing whatever they want without being held accountable. We need to demand better from them, we need to stand together and fight for our rights 
. And now his wife could be facing life imprisonment too? That's insane! 
. And to think that someone can get thrown behind bars just for expressing themselves through art or literature? That's not freedom – that's oppression 
.
.
and now his wife is facing life in prison? it's insane.
and it's time for us to stand up against this overreach.
or else we'll lose what makes America great in the first place - the freedom to speak out and challenge the status quo 
.
it was like a whole new level of surveillance. And now we're talking about "guilt by literature" - that's some serious government overreach, if you ask me. 
It's not fair to people who just want to speak out against the system or protest for what they believe in.
Anyway, I think it's super important to stand up for our civil liberties and make sure our government isn't getting too carried away with its power.
Can't we just have peaceful protests and express our opinions without being silenced or persecuted? 
We need to stand up for Daniel and Maricela, and for all those who are being targeted by the system 
. And the fact that Estrada claims he didn't even know about the protest and was just being a good stepdad to his kid after getting released... it's like, what even is going on here? 
.
. We need to find a better way to balance individual rights with public safety, you know? 
. I mean, five months without bail? That's a bit extreme, right? And now he's claiming his release was a mistake? It sounds like the gov't might've been trying to railroad him 
.
he's got a point that we gotta be careful not to let our fears of "anti-American" behavior turn into mass hysteria... like, if you're not in on the protest, does that mean you're not pro-America? 
. The use of "guilt by literature" as a means of prosecuting someone is an affront to due process and the principles of justice 
.