ICE Attacker Revealed to Be a Military Veteran

Politics admin July 20, 2026 0 Comments

A man accused of setting a fire outside a federal building in New York City on Monday morning was an Army veteran who carried anti-ICE materials, officials said.

Andrew Arrabaca, 43, was arrested on Monday in connection with the incident, said James Barnacle, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, during a press conference Monday afternoon.

Barnacle said that Arrabaca had poured gasoline on the ground outside the employee entrance of 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan before setting it ablaze with a lighter and a “large firework in a canister.” He added that Arrabaca pulled out an airsoft rifle and fired several plastic pellets.

Barnacle explained that Arrabaca was equipped with “two axes, a hammer, a machete, and three knives,” as well as anti-ICE literature during the attack.

Arrabaca allegedly yelled insults toward ICE as he was being arrested, the FBI leader added.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that the entire incident was caught on an NYPD camera.

Barnacle said that three people were injured in the incident, including an immigrant who was appearing at a hearing for their immigration status.

“He did say he was targeting the building, and he was OK if he hurt or killed people going in and out of the building, whether they were federal employees or civilians,” he said of Arrabaca, who served as a U.S. Army soldier from 2001 to 2005.

Reached for comment, the NYPD referred the Daily Beast to the FBI, which referred the Daily Beast to the press conference. The Daily Beast reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

Authorities said that they believe Arrabaca, a mechanic who worked on Patriot missiles during his time in the Army, camped out in front of the building overnight and returned early in the morning, according to Fox 5 New York.

Videos circulating on social media captured the blaze outside the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, which houses federal immigration courts as well as the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

From outside my apartment. Saw what looked like a shotgun and people running for cover behind walls. Scary sights pic.twitter.com/geMnremrKD

— DoubleDash_DigitalDash (@DoubleDash_H) July 20, 2026

DHS said in a statement shared on social media that “a FPS Protective Security Officer swiftly tackled and detained” Arrabaca, “sustaining minor injuries” in the process.

In a statement, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the incident “deeply disturbing” and said he was “relieved no one was seriously injured.”

“Our administration will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city—and hold accountable any who threaten that,” he added.