Federal authorities have arrested a 43-year-old U.S. Army veteran in connection with an incident Monday morning in which an incendiary device was set off outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, a building that houses offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, an immigration court, and other federal agencies.
Andrew Arrabaca was taken into custody shortly after the event, which occurred around 8:30 a.m. near an employee entrance to the building. According to the FBI, Arrabaca poured gasoline on the ground and stairs, ignited it using a lighter and a large firework contained in a canister, and caused flames and smoke to rise along the building’s facade. He also allegedly fired five to seven pellets from an airsoft rifle toward the area.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle described the suspect as arriving “armed, with bad intentions.” Authorities recovered multiple weapons from Arrabaca, including two axes, a hammer, knives, and fireworks, in addition to the gasoline and incendiary materials. Two people sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Barnacle stated that Arrabaca is “an anti-American, anti-government extremist.” During post-arrest interviews, the suspect allegedly indicated he was targeting the building and expressed indifference to potential harm to federal employees or civilians entering or exiting the facility. He was carrying anti-ICE literature and signs, including one reading “ICE Off Our Streets” on a cart, and reportedly shouted obscenities directed at ICE agents as he was apprehended.
Arrabaca, a former U.S. Army soldier who served from 2001 to 2005 as a mechanic on Patriot missile systems, has a reported history of anti-ICE activism. The Department of Homeland Security described him as an “anti-ICE rioter.” He was subdued by a Federal Protective Service officer and is cooperating with investigators after being advised of his Miranda rights. The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation.
The incident prompted a temporary shelter-in-place order at the building out of an abundance of caution. No serious structural damage or widespread injuries were reported. Officials continue to examine the full scope of the event and any potential connections to broader threats against federal operations.
This event underscores ongoing concerns regarding security at federal facilities amid polarized debates over immigration enforcement. Authorities have not released additional details on potential charges as the investigation proceeds.
