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\title{The Relevance of the Prairieland Conviction to Printers and Zine Distributors}
\date{Mar 15, 2026}
\author{the distroist international}
\subtitle{A collaborative draft statement regarding the relevance of the prairieland conviction to printers and zine distributors}






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  {\usekomafont{title}{\huge The Relevance of the Prairieland Conviction to Printers and Zine Distributors\par}}%
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  {\usekomafont{subtitle}{A collaborative draft statement regarding the relevance of the prairieland conviction to printers and zine distributors\par}}%
  
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  {\usekomafont{author}{the distroist international\par}}%
  
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If you haven’t been following the Prairieland “antifa terrorist enterprise” case, it ended pretty fucking bad. Comrades were convicted on federal felony charges based on activities such as owning a printer and moving a box of zines into a car.


The most relevant convictions for distroists: Elizabeth Soto and Ines Soto, who own a print shop, and Des (Daniel Sanchez Estrada), a tattoo artist and zine distributor Corruptly Concealing a Document or Record (18 U.S.C. § 151 Some early indictments mentioned conspiracy, but the March 13 verdict was specifically on the §1519 obstruction charge. Des was found guilty for moving a box of zines to a friend’s house after he heard that his wife Maricela Rueda had been arrested at a protest.


The Sotos were found guilty of rioting for being at the protest, providing material support to terrorists (such as printing), conspiracy to use and carry an explosive, use and carry of an explosive. All non-cooperating defendants are awaiting sentencing and are facing decades in prison.


What does this mean?


\begin{itemize}
\item\relax 
the physical act of moving literature (transporting a box from one house to another, or potentially from a print shop to a post office) can be charged as “concealing evidence” if the government claims you knew an investigation was underway or imminent.



\item\relax 
Normal distribution activities (shipping, relocating stock) could be reinterpreted as “flight of evidence” if law enforcement decides the materials are linked to a crime.



\item\relax 
“Protected Speech” Can Be Reclassified as “Contraband”:



\item\relax 
The zines in the box included crimethinc, anarchist library, little black cart, and titles from many more distributors. is there a complete list?



\item\relax 
Prosecutors successfully argued that because the zines contained the same ideas as the “Antifa terrorist enterprise” (per the government’s theory), the zines themselves became “instrumentalities of a crime” This bypasses First Amendment protections by treating the published anarchist texts as “tools” of terrorism rather than speech. Would like to see citations but word




\end{itemize}

Guilt by Association


\begin{itemize}
\item\relax 
Sanchez Estrada was not present at the July 4\textsuperscript{th} protest. He was not accused of planning it. His only link was his marriage to a defendant (? is this accurate) and his possession of similar literature.



\item\relax 
Distributors who are friends with, related to, or networked with activists who engage in direct action could be swept into conspiracy charges simply for handling their literature or storing their materials.



\item\relax 
Prosecutors did not need to prove the zines were illegal. They only needed to prove Sanchez Estrada “moved them with the intent to hide them” from investigators.



\item\relax 
Main takeaway: If you move your stock for any reason (e.g., a raid, a subpoena, a police inquiry, or even just paranoia after a news event), the government can argue your motive was obstruction, regardless of whether you actually destroyed anything *if there is an investigation. dont want to be alarmist. Des was convicted because the FBI photographed him loading boxes of zines into his truck. If anyone ever needs a shredder\dots{} Without a timestamp, shredded paper is shredded paper.




\end{itemize}

As a green card holder, Sanchez Estrada faces deportation following his conviction, even if his prison sentence is light.


Digital and Physical Security are Now Legal Necessities:


\begin{itemize}
\item\relax 
The prosecution used text messages, cloud backups, and physical seizures to build the “conspiracy” narrative.



\item\relax 
Distributors must assume that all communications about shipping, inventory, and client lists are discoverable. The case highlights the need for rigorous operational security (OpSec), encrypted communications, and potentially legal protocols for how to respond to subpoenas before they arrive. would be cool to elaborate two paths on this one- above and under ground. i think no trace has good writing on the topic, could plagiarize for this




\end{itemize}

The “Terrorist” Label Lowers the Bar for Evidence:


\begin{itemize}
\item\relax 
Because the Trump administration designated “Antifa” as a terrorist organization (via Executive Order in this timeline), prosecutors could use “Material Support for Terrorism” statutes.



\item\relax 
Providing “expert advice,” “resources,” or even “personnel” (which can include distributing literature that “recruits” for the cause) to a designated group is a felony. Distributors carrying “insurrectionary” titles could be seen as providing “resources” to a terrorist enterprise.




\end{itemize}

No “Violence” Required for Conviction:


\begin{itemize}
\item\relax 
Des was convicted without any allegation that he touched a weapon, threw a projectile, or encouraged violence.




\end{itemize}

\hairline


The print shop was operated by Elizabeth Soto and Ines Soto, two of the nine defendants in the Prairieland case.


Key Details About the Print Shop:


\begin{itemize}
\item\relax 
Equipment Seized: The FBI confiscated commercial printing equipment during the raid. Prosecutors framed this as evidence of a “propaganda production” operation for the alleged “Antifa cell.”



\item\relax 
According to trial testimony and reporting (specifically Truthout and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram), the Sotos had established a small, independent print shop and literature distribution to support:



\item\relax 
Local book clubs



\item\relax 
Anarchist and socialist reading groups



\item\relax 
Tabling at regional book fairs and zine fests



\item\relax 
Prosecution’s Theory: Prosecutors suggested the Sotos used their printer to mass-produce “insurrectionary” materials for the group. However, under cross-examination, FBI agents admitted they had no direct evidence that the specific zines seized were actually printed on the Sotos’ machine.



\item\relax 
Defense Argument: Attorneys argued that owning a printing press is protected by the First Amendment and that printing political literature is not a crime, regardless of its content.




\end{itemize}

The targeting of the Sotos’ print shop demonstrates that the government is not just going after “distributors” (like Des) but also the means of production. The logic of the prosecution implies that:


\begin{enumerate}[1.]
\item\relax 
Owning printing equipment can be framed as “infrastructure” for a terrorist conspiracy.



\item\relax 
Printing for others (even just for book clubs or reading groups) can be construed as “material support.”



\item\relax 
The act of printing itself is being scrutinized as a potential felony if the content is deemed “insurrectionary.”




\end{enumerate}

Both Elizabeth and Ines Soto were convicted on March 13, 2026, along with the other defendants, on charges including material support for terrorism and conspiracy. Their ownership of the printer was a central piece of the government’s evidence against them.


This makes the Prairieland case a dual precedent: it criminalizes both the logistics (moving boxes) and the production (owning a printer) of radical literature.

\chapter{Appendix}

\section{Books \& Zines mentioned in the trial}


Not a comprehensive list but mentioned in trial and based on photos of zines in gov docs.


Maybe someone can compile a more complete list and post after reviewing the \href{https://prairielanddefendants.com/category/court-notes/}{court notes}.


\begin{itemize}
\item\relax 
\href{https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/catherine-baker-against-prisons}{Against Prisons} by Catherine Baker



\item\relax 
\href{https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/cindy-milstein-anarchism-and-its-aspirations}{Anarchism and its Aspirations} by Cindy Milstein



\item\relax 
\href{https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anonymous-another-critique-of-insurrectionalism}{Another Critique of Insurrectionalism} by Anonymous



\item\relax 
\href{https://www.academia.edu/5486857/Counterinsurgency\_and\_the\_Occupy\_Movement}{Counterinsurgency And The Occupy Movement} by George Ciccariello-Maher



\item\relax 
\href{https://drylandliteraryjournal.wordpress.com/2019/01/19/cruel-fiction-by-wendy-trevino/}{Cruel Fiction} by Wendy Trevino



\item\relax 
\href{https://haters.noblogs.org/files/2024/04/DArr.pdf}{De-Arrest Primer} by Anonymous



\item\relax 
\href{https://illwilleditions.noblogs.org/files/2019/09/for-the-love-of-winning-imposed.pdf}{For the Love of Winning: An Open Letter to Extinction Rebellion} by John Jordan



\item\relax 
\href{https://haters.noblogs.org/files/2024/05/GGU\_2024\_Print-reformat.pdf}{Gaza Ghetto Uprising} by Adi Callai



\item\relax 
\href{https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/ignatius-if-we-go-we-go-on-fire}{If We Go, We Go On Fire} by Ignatius



\item\relax 
\href{https://warzonedistro.noblogs.org/files/2019/04/Insurgency\_An-Anarchist-Journal-of-Total-Destruction.pdf}{Insurgency a Journal of Anarchist destruction} by Various Authors



\item\relax 
\href{https://files.sproutdistro.com/its-vacant-take-it-SCREEN.pdf}{It’s Vacant, Take It! A Homes Not Jails Squatting Zine}



\item\relax 
\href{https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/the-invisible-committe-now}{Now} by The Invisible Committe



\item\relax 
\href{https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/insurrectionary-anarchy-organizing-for-attack}{Organizing for Attack! Insurrectionary Anarchy} by Anonymous



\item\relax 
\href{https://haters.noblogs.org/files/2025/07/Our-Enemies-in-Yellow.pdf}{Our Enemies in Yellow} by Ramon Byrne (“despite its hyperbolic title, reads like a think piece, not a how-to manual”)



\item\relax 
\href{https://haters.noblogs.org/files/2023/08/Satanic-Death-Cult.pdf}{The Satanic Death Cult is Real} by Sophie Lewis (“They want to show you satanic Death Cult \dots{} looks bad but its about movie reviews”)



\item\relax 
\href{https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/crimethinc-to-change-everything}{To Change Everything} by Crimethinc



\item\relax 
\href{https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/mary-nardini-gang-toward-the-queerest-insurrection}{Toward the Queerest Insurrection} by Mary Nardini Gang



\item\relax 
\href{https://archive.org/details/ill\_will\_2016\_streets/ill\_will\_2016\_streets/}{War in the Streets: Tactical Lessons from the Global Civil War} by Various Authors



\item\relax 
\href{https://shadowboxstudio.org/events/paradiso-xxii-lizzy-hindman-harvey-kristen-waters-dylan-angell}{The Process That Leaves Me With A Dead Sister} by Kristen Waters



\item\relax 
Visualize Industrial Collapse (this is an old Earth First! slogan and it's used in lots of anticiv memes, but I can't find a specific zine by this name)




\end{itemize}
\section{Anarchist Reading Resources}

\subsection{Distros}


\begin{itemize}
\item\relax 
\href{https://en.scrappycapydistro.info/zines}{Scrappy Capy}



\item\relax 
\href{https://www.notrace.how/}{No Trace Project}



\item\relax 
\href{https://www.sproutdistro.com/}{Sprout}



\item\relax 
\href{https://mbtadistro.noblogs.org/}{MTBA}



\item\relax 
\href{https://1312press.noblogs.org/}{1312 Press}



\item\relax 
\href{https://azinelibrary.org/}{A Zine Library}



\item\relax 
\href{https://durian-distro.org/}{Durian}



\item\relax 
\href{https://www.sherwoodforestzinelibrary.org/virtual-zine-library-recently-added/anarchism}{Sherwood Forest Zine Library}



\item\relax 
\href{https://www.southchicagoabc.org/zine-library/}{South Chicago ABC}



\item\relax 
\href{https://fillerpgh.wordpress.com/archive/}{Filler}



\item\relax 
\href{https://haters.noblogs.org/zines/}{Haters Cafe}



\item\relax 
\href{https://www.prole.info/}{Prole.info}



\item\relax 
\href{https://msha.ke/powertothepeople/}{Power To The People}



\item\relax 
\href{https://zinelibrary.c4ss.org/}{C4SS}



\item\relax 
\href{https://www.littlemouse.fun/zines.html}{LittleMouse.fun}



\item\relax 
\href{https://muntjacmag.noblogs.org/zines}{Muntjac}



\item\relax 
\href{https://invisiblemolotov.wordpress.com/}{Invisible Molotov}



\item\relax 
\href{https://itsgoingdown.org/library/}{It’s Going Down Library}



\item\relax 
\href{https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/zines/}{Final Straw Radio}



\item\relax 
\href{https://toleratedindividuality.wordpress.com/zine-library/}{Tolerated Individuality}



\item\relax 
\href{https://crimethinc.com/}{Crimethinc}



\item\relax 
\href{https://bandilangitim.xyz/}{BandiLang Itim}



\item\relax 
\href{https://illwill.com/print}{Ill Will}



\item\relax 
\href{https://www.brownreclusezinedistro.com/}{Brown Recluse}



\item\relax 
\href{https://trueleappress.wordpress.com/2020/02/18/2020-distro-catalog/}{True Apple Press}



\item\relax 
\href{https://anarchotranshuman.org/}{Anarcho-Transhuman}



\item\relax 
\href{https://butchanarchy.noblogs.org/creativework/zines/}{Butch Anarchy}



\item\relax 
\href{https://oplopanaxpublishing.wordpress.com/}{Oplopanax}



\item\relax 
\href{https://spacecityao.noblogs.org/category/scao-zines/}{Space City Anarchist Org}



\item\relax 
\href{https://warzonedistro.noblogs.org/}{Warzone}



\item\relax 
\href{https://zabalazabooks.net/}{Zabalaza}




\end{itemize}
\subsection{Publishing Houses}


\begin{itemize}
\item\relax 
\href{https://akpress.org/}{AK Press}



\item\relax 
\href{https://pmpress.org/}{PM Press}



\item\relax 
\href{https://blackrosebooks.com/}{Black Rose Books}



\item\relax 
\href{https://black-mosquito.org/en/}{Black Mosquito}



\item\relax 
\href{https://freedompress.org.uk/}{Freedom Press}



\item\relax 
\href{https://store.c4ss.org/}{C4SS}



\item\relax 
\href{https://crimethinc.com/}{Crimethinc}



\item\relax 
\href{https://www.dogsection.org/}{Dog Section Press}



\item\relax 
\href{https://activedistribution.org/}{Active Distribution}



\item\relax 
\href{https://detritusbooks.com/}{Detritus}



\item\relax 
\href{https://eberhardtpress.bigcartel.com/}{Eberhardt}



\item\relax 
\href{https://seesharppress.com/books1.html}{See Sharp}




\end{itemize}
\subsection{Online Archives}


\begin{itemize}
\item\relax 
\href{https://zinelibrary.org/}{Zine Library}



\item\relax 
\href{https://theanarchistlibrary.org}{The Anarchist Library}



\item\relax 
\href{https://lib.edist.ro}{Edist.ro}



\item\relax 
\href{https://lib.anarhija.net}{Anarhija Libary}



\item\relax 
\href{https://elephanteditions.net}{Elephant Editions’ Archive}



\item\relax 
\href{https://fifthestate.anarchistlibraries.net}{Fifth Estate mirror}



\item\relax 
\href{http://stealthiswiki.com}{Steal This Wiki}



\item\relax 
\href{https://thelul.org}{The Library of Unconventional Lives}



\item\relax 
\href{https://thetedkarchive.com}{The Ted K Archive}



\item\relax 
\href{https://sea.theanarchistlibrary.org}{Southeast Asian Anarchist Library} (English, Bahasa, Tagalog, Bisaya, Tiếng Việt \& more)



\item\relax 
\href{https://eutopia.gr/bibliothiki}{Eutopia} (Ελληνικά, English, Español \& Italiano)



\item\relax 
\href{https://tabularasa.anarhija.net}{Tabula Rasa} (French, Italian, Dutch, English, Serbo-Croatian, German \& Spanish)



\item\relax 
\href{https://cassiopea.house}{Casa Cassiopea} (Mainly italian, but is an international anarchist archive)



\item\relax 
\href{https://edizionianarchismo.net}{Edizioni Anarchismo} (Italian)



\item\relax 
\href{https://a-bibliothek.org/}{Anarchistische Bibliothek \& Archiv} (German)



\item\relax 
\href{https://pl.anarchistlibraries.net}{Anarcho-Biblioteka} (Polish)



\item\relax 
\href{https://ru.anarchistlibraries.net}{Библиотека Анархизма} (Russian)



\item\relax 
\href{https://fa.anarchistlibraries.net}{کتابخانه آنارشیستی} (Farsi)



\item\relax 
\href{https://anarchief.org/}{Anarchief} (Dutch)



\item\relax 
\href{https://disordine.noblogs.org/}{Biblioteca Anarchica Disordine} (Italian)



\item\relax 
\href{https://anarhisticka-biblioteka.net}{Anarhistička biblioteka} (Serbo-Croatian)



\item\relax 
\href{https://sv.anarchistlibraries.net}{Det Anarkistiska Biblioteket} (Swedish)



\item\relax 
\href{https://labibliotecaanarquista.cat}{La Biblioteca Anarquista} (Catalan)



\item\relax 
\href{https://ola.bida.im/}{OLA — Opac Libertario e Anarchico\Slash{}Autogestito} (Italian)



\item\relax 
\href{https://a-bieb.nl}{De Anarchistische Bibliotheek} (Dutch)



\item\relax 
\href{https://anarhisticka-biblioteka.org}{Анархистичка библиотека} (Macedonian)



\item\relax 
\href{https://lascintilla.noblogs.org/}{Centro di documentazione libertaria La Scintilla} (Italian)



\item\relax 
\href{https://kr.theanarchistlibrary.org}{아나키스트 도서관} (Korean)



\item\relax 
\href{https://bibliothekderfreien.de}{Bibliothek der Freien} (German)



\item\relax 
\href{https://bibliotecaanarquista.org}{Biblioteca Anarquista} (Portuguese)



\item\relax 
\href{https://ro.theanarchistlibrary.org}{Biblioteca Anarhistă} (Romanian)



\item\relax 
\href{https://anarchistischebibliothek.org}{Anarchistische Bibliothek} (German)



\item\relax 
\href{https://bibliotecaanarchica.org}{Biblioteca anarchica} (Italian)



\item\relax 
\href{https://fi.anarchistlibraries.net}{Anarkistinen kirjasto} (Finnish)



\item\relax 
\href{https://anarchistickaknihovna.org}{Anarchistická knihovna} (Czech)



\item\relax 
\href{https://da.anarchistlibraries.net}{Det Anarkistiske Bibliotek} (Danish)



\item\relax 
\href{https://hu.theanarchistlibrary.org}{Anarchista könyvtár} (Hungarian)



\item\relax 
\href{https://ja.theanarchistlibrary.org}{無政府主義図書館} (Japanese)



\item\relax 
\href{https://tr.anarchistlibraries.net}{Anarşist Kütüphane} (Turkish)



\item\relax 
\href{https://eo.theanarchistlibrary.org}{Esperanto Anarchist Library} (Esperanto)



\item\relax 
\href{https://es.anarchistlibraries.net}{Biblioteca anarquista} (Spanish)



\item\relax 
\href{https://gr.theanarchistlibrary.org}{Η Αναρχική Βιβλιοθήκη} (Greek)




\end{itemize}








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The Ted K Archive





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the distroist international

The Relevance of the Prairieland Conviction to Printers and Zine Distributors

A collaborative draft statement regarding the relevance of the prairieland conviction to printers and zine distributors

Mar 15, 2026


\bigskip


<\href{https://anarchistnews.org/content/relevance-prairieland-conviction-printers-and-zine-distributors}{www.anarchistnews.org\Slash{}content\Slash{}relevance-prairieland-conviction-printers-and-zine-distributors}>
   

       

       
         Posted without editing and without talking to anyone who might know more about the case than we do. We would rather open the dialogue \& polish in the comments.
       

       

       

       

       

   



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\textbf{www.thetedkarchive.com}


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