As pro-illegal immigration demonstrations continue across the country, a militant group with roots in the 1960s Chicano Movement has taken a vocal—and potentially dangerous—stance in North Texas and beyond.
The Brown Berets, a self-described pro-Chicano paramilitary group, has resurfaced in recent months with renewed intensity—especially through their Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) chapter. The organization, historically known for its radical advocacy and military-style attire, has amplified anti-police and anti-immigration enforcement rhetoric during the ongoing unrest.
According to the Los Angeles Conservancy, the Brown Berets were “founded in Los Angeles in the late 1960s” and were “an influential community-based social justice organization that played a leading role in the Chicano Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.”
The group was inspired in part by the Black Power Movement. It is often associated with far-left political ideologies and displays imagery linked to communist revolutionary Che Guevara, including uniforms modeled after his signature look. Many of their visual materials feature Mexican flags, firearms, and revolutionary slogans.
The Brown Berets DFW Instagram account has frequently posted real-time reports of police activity, including the location of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents or vehicles spotted across the metroplex—potentially compromising law enforcement operations and alerting illegal aliens.
One post, published days before the “No Kings” march, depicted an image of the Denton County sheriff with a red “X” over his face. The caption included inflammatory language inciting violence.
The post read:
‼️THE SHERIFF OF DENTON THREATENING TO HAVE HIS THUGS KILL PEOPLE‼️AS IF THE PEOPLE PROTESTING DONT ALSO PAY HIS SALARY‼️ THAT GUY IS A TRUMP LOVING MAGGOT‼️ WHO HAS PUBLICLY STATED HIS EAGERNESS TO HELP ICE KIDNAP OUR GENTE‼️ THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY THE 🐽 BRING THE VIOLENCE ‼️WE AINT SCARED‼️VIVA LA RAZA‼️ #FuckICE #LaMigraLaPoliciaLaMismaPorqueria #RazaDefenders #TheTheFront #BrownBerets
Public reaction was critical of the Berets’ incitement of violence, with Denton County GOP Chair Melinda Preston condemning the group.
“In any Texas county, the sheriff serves as a key protector of the people. Alongside the District Attorney, the sheriff plays a vital role in upholding justice and ensuring the safety of the community. The idea that the so-called ‘Brown Berets’ would threaten a sheriff for doing his duty is both absurd and cowardly. Sheriff Murphree exemplifies true leadership—standing up to threats and defending the citizens he swore to protect. We are fortunate to live in Denton County and to have Sheriff Murphree serving with such integrity and courage,” Preston told The Dallas Express.
In another video, members of the group protested and harassed the Dallas police chief at a local Mexican restaurant.
🚨LEFT-WING EXTREMISM🚨The Radical DFW Brown Berets terrorized and harassed a restaurant where the Dallas Police Chief was eating. The Chief said he will work with ICE, angering Illegal Aliens.
CALL ICE if you see this potentially VIOLENT GROUP!
Follow: @Carlos__Turcios pic.twitter.com/5umnsxgz1n
— Carlos Turcios (@Carlos__Turcios) June 7, 2025
“He loves our food apparently but he doesn’t love us because he has chosen to work with ICE,” said Tony Tepitsin Okinchtil Rodriguez, the leader of Brown Berets DFW.
Rodriguez has posted on Facebook supporting open borders, socialism, and abolishing law enforcement.
On The Global Latin Factor Podcast in 2022, Rodriguez stated: “We need to stop begging and asking for stuff and demanding and forcing them.”
Rodriguez’s Facebook activity includes a post dated August 1, 2024, supporting “open borders” and calling to defund the police.
The group has also used the hashtag #FreeAztlán, a reference to a controversial ethno-nationalist movement asserting that the American Southwest rightfully belongs to Mexicans. According to some sources, “the concept of Aztlán… has become a symbol for various Mexican ethno-nationalist movements.”
In Los Angeles, a reported Brown Berets member, Alejandro Orellana, was seen distributing face shields during violent riots targeting ICE facilities.
Meanwhile, the DFW branch has continued posting aggressive slogans during Dallas-area protests, including #FuckICE, #FuckTrump, and #VivaLaRaza.
The Dallas Express attempted to reach both Rodriguez and the Brown Berets DFW chapter for comment but received no response.