More than two years ago, two women faced reporters in front of an Iowa government building and said they had tried to delay the installation of the Dakota Access Pipeline by setting fire to heavy machinery and using oxyacetylene torches to pierce steel valves.

Then the women, Ruby Montoya and Jessica Reznicek, picked up a crowbar and a hammer and began to pry letters from a government sign behind them. For that, they were promptly detained by state officials.

But their comments about damaging the pipeline did not appear to yield much of a response from prosecutors — until now.

On Wednesday, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa announced that a federal grand jury had charged the women with conspiracy to damage an energy facility, along with four counts each of malicious use of fire and the use of fire to commit a felony.