The suspect accused of killing 22 people and injuring more than two dozen others in a rampage that targeted Mexicans at an El Paso Walmart has been charged with 90 federal charges, including 45 hate crimes.

The indictments were handed up Thursday afternoon by a federal grand jury in El Paso. The Department of Justice formally announced the charges against Patrick Wood Crusius Thursday afternoon. U.S. officials want him held without bond.

At a news conference at 5 p.m. Thursday, John Bash, U.S. attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas; Eric Dreiband, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice; and Luis Quesada, FBI special agent in charge of the El Paso Field Office, said the federal government will prosecute the case and ensure justice for the victims.

Bash said that the day after the attack, he said the “horrific crime met the federal definition of terrorism.”

He said he promised “we would deliver swift and certain justice. Today makes a significant step in fulfilling that commitment.”

Bash mentioned he spent time in El Paso during his youth and that his grandmother still lives in the city. “It’s unbelievable something like this happened here,” he said, adding he tries not to think about it too much because it’s incredibly depressing.

He also said he spoke with survivors of the shooting and family members of victims before the announcement Thursday, but would not discuss what they spoke about. He did say that as state and federal prosecutions take place on parallel tracks, an emphasis will be made to minimize stress on the victims.

Bash noted this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice, whose first mission was fighting the Ku Klux Klan.

He said, "We face a resurgent threat of racist violence" all across this country and emphasized that the Department of Justice is "going on offense against those plotting racist attacks."

"We're going to take the fight to the violent extremists and we are going to win," he vowed.

He said the effort is made more difficult by racist online propaganda posted by "lone actors."

Bash said discussions are occurring as to who will have custody of the suspect.

“We're actively discussing those sorts of issues with the district attorney,” he said.

He said which case will go to trial first will probably be up to the judges.

"But we're going to work closely with the district attorney,” he said.

Dreiband said the federal government will not tolerate violence against the Hispanic community in El Paso or anywhere in the country.

Crusius is scheduled to have an initial appearance in federal court Feb. 12 before a U.S. magistrate judge in El Paso.

Patrick Crusius charges include:

22 counts of hate crime resulting in death

23 counts of hate crime involving attempt to kill

22 counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence

23 counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence

In a news release, the Department of Justice said: "Upon conviction, the charges in the indictment call for the death penalty or life imprisonment. The Attorney General will decide whether to seek the death penalty at a later time."

The federal indictment alleges Crusius purchased a GP WASR-10 semiautomatic rifle and 1,000 rounds of hollow-point ammunition online on June 19, 2019. Hollow-point bullets are designed to expand upon impact and cause severe damage.

The indictment further alleges Crusius drafted a document titled “The Inconvenient Truth” before Aug. 3, the day he drove to El Paso from Allen, Texas. He uploaded the document online “on or about August 3, 2019" before opening fire at the Cielo Vista Walmart on the city's East Side, the indictment states.

According to the indictment, the document opens with, “This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas … I am defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by the invasion.”

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The federal charges follow Crusius' state grand jury indictment last fall on a capital murder of multiple persons charge, which also could bring a death sentence.

Crusius, 21, pleaded not guilty to the state capital murder charge in October. He has been held without bond in the El Paso County Jail in Downtown since the shooting and is kept on suicide watch, isolated from other prisoners.

El Paso County District Attorney Jaime Esparza said in a statement: “The state of Texas is continuing the prosecution of the Walmart shooter. Our office is actively working on the case and continues to be committed to assisting the victims through the judicial process.

“We support the indictment by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as one more way of holding the shooter accountable. The District Attorney’s Office will continue to work hard to ensure that justice is done and that the shooter is held accountable by our community. The office will fully cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the prosecution of the federal charges announced today.”

El Paso County government officials have said that costs associated with the state trial could adversely impact county services, including road and park improvements and other projects.

A potential change of venue for the trial — moving it out of El Paso — could cost up to $6 million to $8 million, county officials estimate.

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The federal indictment comes as the El Paso area marks the six-month anniversary of the shooting. Last weekend, nearby San Elizario planted 22 oak trees in honor of the victims, eight of whom were Mexican nationals.

Staff writer Lauren Villagran contributed to this report.