In brief
On Monday, Andrew Arrabaca, a 43‑year‑old former Army specialist, set fire and launched fireworks in front of 26 Federal Plaza, the federal office of the FBI, ICE and USCIS. The suspect was armed with a machete, axes, knives and a pellet airsoft gun and was tackled by federal agents. Three people, including a government employee, sustained minor injuries. After being detained, Arrabaca was described by the FBI as an anti‑government and anti‑ICE extremist.
A former U.S. Army soldier has been arrested after igniting a fire in front of the federal building at 26 Federal Plaza.
Andrew Arrabaca, 43, allegedly fired a pellet airsoft gun and set off fireworks on Monday morning, then poured an accelerant onto the building’s entrance stairs, causing a blaze.
Federal agents tackled Arrabaca, who was armed with a machete, two axes, three knives and the pellet gun.
Three people sustained minor injuries, including an immigrant attending a status hearing and a government employee. The fire department extinguished the flame.
The incident, labeled by the Department of Homeland Security a “anti‑ICE rioter,” highlights tensions around the federal immigration agencies' presence in lower Manhattan.
Arrabaca is said to have made anti‑government and anti‑ICE statements during the event; the FBI described him as an anti‑American extremist.
The ex‑Army specialist, who served from 2001‑04 in the regular Army and 2004‑05 in the National Guard, left the service as a specialist without overseas deployments.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani dubbed the incident “deeply disturbing,” pledging continued safety measures for New Yorkers.
