A 43-year-old former Army soldier doused the steps of a Manhattan federal building with gasoline, set it ablaze, and launched fireworks at bystanders in what officials call an anti-government attack, and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is now leading the investigation.
Andrew Arrabaca of Poughkeepsie, New York, arrived in Lower Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood on Sunday night and made his way to 26 Federal Plaza the next morning, pulling a cart bearing the slogan "ICE off our streets," two long guns officials later identified as airsoft rifles, and additional fireworks. At roughly 8:20 a.m. Monday, he poured what authorities believe was gasoline on the building's front stairs and ignited it, then hurled fireworks into the flames as federal workers and civilians passed by on the sidewalk, the New York Post reported.
The Jacob K. Javits Federal Office Building at 26 Federal Plaza houses New York's ICE field office, the FBI, immigration courts, and other federal agencies. It is one of the most prominent federal government hubs in the country, and on a Monday morning it was full of employees and visitors.
A Federal Protective Service officer tackled Arrabaca and detained him, sustaining minor injuries in the process. Officers then recovered a bag from the suspect containing what appeared to be two pellet guns and a manifesto. Officials did not immediately reveal the manifesto's contents.
FDNY crews treated four civilians for minor injuries at the scene. One was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital; three others refused further medical attention. A bystander was grazed by the fireworks, and the FPS officer who brought Arrabaca down also sustained injuries described as minor by the Department of Homeland Security.
DHS provided a statement to the Post describing the sequence in blunt terms:
"At approximately 8:20 am, an anti-ICE rioter launched fireworks outside of 26 Federal Plaza, grazing a bystander and poured what is believed to be gasoline on the stairs of the entrance of the building and set it on fire."
DHS added that the FPS officer "swiftly tackled and detained the agitator, sustaining minor injuries during the incident." Officers quickly doused the flames before they could spread into the building.
The incident adds to a pattern of politically motivated attacks on government buildings and party offices. A federal grand jury recently indicted a Texas woman for an alleged arson attack on a Republican Party headquarters, underscoring the real-world danger when political rage crosses into criminal violence.
The FBI confirmed the attack in a statement: "This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza. The individual has been taken into custody and the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the incident."
FBI Director Kash Patel described the event in similar terms, noting two minor injuries had been reported and that the Joint Terrorism Task Force was leading the probe, Fox News reported. FBI Assistant Director James Barnacle went further, calling it an "anti-government attack on a federal facility," according to the Washington Times.
No formal charges had been filed as of publication. Arrabaca was being held as a person of interest. The distinction matters: the terrorism task force designation signals investigators are treating this as more than a random act of vandalism.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged the severity of the incident. The Washington Times quoted him saying:
"What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing. I'm relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody."
Mamdani's statement stopped well short of addressing the anti-ICE motive. That restraint is worth noting from a mayor whose administration has clashed repeatedly with federal immigration enforcement. A former Democratic governor recently called New York Gov. Hochul's anti-ICE legislative package a "serious blunder", highlighting fractures even within the Democratic Party over how far officials should go in obstructing federal law enforcement.
An Army spokesperson confirmed that Arrabaca served in the US Army from 2001 to 2004, then in the Army National Guard in New York until July 2005. He left the service with the rank of specialist, an enlisted rank, not an officer's commission. The spokesperson did not address his discharge status or any post-service history.
What happened between 2005 and Monday morning remains an open question. How Arrabaca traveled from Poughkeepsie, roughly 80 miles north of Manhattan, to Tribeca on Sunday night, and whether he acted alone, are details investigators have not publicly addressed.
Wild video shared on social media showed the suspect hurling fireworks into the flames right outside the building's front entrance, with one exploding loudly as police tackled him. A second video posted online showed several large fireworks and debris apparently left behind, including the anti-ICE sign.
Omer Bulla, who manages a Worth Street parking garage across the street from the federal building, told the Post he heard what sounded like a pair of gunshots:
"I don't know what happened. It was loud. When we looked outside the police already took the guy."
The attack fits a broader climate in which progressive state officials have actively resisted federal law enforcement operations, and anti-ICE rhetoric from elected leaders has grown sharper. When politicians spend months casting immigration enforcement as an illegitimate occupation force, some people take the message literally.
Arrabaca reportedly threatened passersby with the airsoft rifles mounted on his cart as he approached the building. DHS described the weapons recovered from his bag as "pellet guns," while other officials used the term "airsoft rifles", a minor discrepancy that investigators will presumably sort out, but either way, the weapons were realistic enough to alarm civilians on a crowded Manhattan sidewalk at rush hour.
Fox News noted that Arrabaca had "anti-ICE stuff on him" at the time of the attack, along with the pellet guns and manifesto. Two people were injured, a federal employee and a civilian, both treated and released, according to that outlet's account. The FPS officer's injuries were also described as minor.
The incident comes amid escalating tensions over immigration enforcement in New York and other Democratic-led cities. ICE operations in the city have drawn protests, lawsuits, and executive orders designed to limit cooperation with federal agents. A Canadian woman was recently placed in ICE custody after allegedly slapping a teenager over MAGA clothing, at the same facility her husband had protested outside.
Several questions remain unanswered. Investigators have not disclosed the contents of the manifesto. They have not said whether Arrabaca had any connection to organized anti-ICE groups or acted on his own. And formal charges, which could range from arson to federal terrorism-related offenses, had not been announced as of Monday.
The FPS officer who stopped Arrabaca has not been publicly identified. That officer ran toward a man pouring gasoline and launching fireworks, tackled him, and held him until backup arrived. In a city where political leaders have spent years making federal agents feel unwelcome, a federal security officer did exactly what the public expects: he put himself between a threat and the people behind him.
When elected officials treat immigration enforcement as the enemy, they should not be surprised when someone eventually shows up with gasoline and a match. The only reason Monday's attack did not end worse is that one federal officer did his job.
