Police say an 18-year-old St. Helens resident is facing serious charges after investigators alleged he plotted violent attacks on federal immigration agents and started gathering materials for incendiary devices. Rayden Tanner Coleman was arrested last Wednesday during what officers called a high-risk traffic stop outside the assisted-living facility where he worked, and a judge set his bail at $130,000. According to investigators, Coleman talked about beheading ICE officers, tried to recruit people into a group he dubbed the Cascadia Rangers, and collected bottles and other items that could be used to make Molotov-style incendiary devices. The case is in its early stages, the charges are allegations, and Coleman is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
What investigators say
According to a probable-cause affidavit, several witnesses handed over screenshots of online messages along with a document Coleman allegedly described as a manifesto that laid out his views and plans. Witness statements in that affidavit say Coleman tried to recruit people from the Warm Springs Reservation, asked others to help gather empty glass bottles for Molotov cocktails, and said he had filled some bottles with sand to change how they would travel when thrown. Investigators also say Coleman told them he bought an AR-style rifle and was supposed to pick it up the day after officers pulled him over. These details were reported by KPTV.
Evidence and the stop
Officers conducted the stop in St. Helens and searched Coleman’s white Ford Fusion. The affidavit states they found glass bottles filled with sand in the trunk and surveillance-style equipment visible inside the car. Coleman was then taken to the Columbia County sheriff’s office and jail following the traffic stop, and court filings list multiple charges against him. Columbia County’s website notes that the sheriff’s office and jail are located at 901 Port Ave. in St. Helens, and the Columbia County Circuit Court, where the case will be heard, is at 230 Strand St.
Legal implications
Under Oregon law, possession of a destructive device is illegal, as outlined in ORS 166.382. Sentencing ranges depend on the level of felony. According to ORS 161.605, a Class C felony carries a maximum indeterminate sentence of up to five years, while a Class B felony carries a maximum of up to 10 years. Prosecutors have charged Coleman with 12 counts of unlawful possession of a destructive device and one count labeled as an attempt to commit a Class B felony. Those counts are accusations that must still be proven in court.
Where this fits locally
The case lands in the middle of an already heated local debate over immigration enforcement. In recent months, local officials and community groups across the Portland area have pushed back against ICE operations, staging protests and filing legal challenges that have drawn national attention. Federal actions near the ICE facility in Portland have triggered court rulings and sharp arguments over crowd-control tactics, adding more tension to an already fraught topic. As reported by The Associated Press, those clashes have helped turn immigration enforcement into a major flashpoint in Oregon politics and street life.
Coleman remains in custody, and court records did not list an attorney for him at the time of publication, according to KPTV. It was not immediately clear when he will next appear in Columbia County Circuit Court. Officials have not issued any further public statements about the investigation, and anyone with information is asked to contact local law enforcement.
