FBI: Anti-ICE Radical Arrested for Allegedly Setting Off Device at NYC Federal Building
“Officials said the fire appeared to be started by fireworks, which were loaded into a wagon bearing a sign that read “ICE out of our streets.”
*UPDATE*: Charles Barnacle Jr., Assistant Director in Charge for the FBI’s NY Field Office, named the suspect in the attack on 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan:
“Today, just before 9 A.M., a man by the name of Andrew Arrabaca — A-r-r-a-b-a-c-a — arrived at 26 Federal Plaza, just behind us on Worth Street, at the employee entrance to the building where he ignited gasoline. He poured gasoline onto the ground and ignited it with a lighter and an incendiary device. That device was a firework — a large firework in a canister that proceeded to catch on fire. Pretty big flame, as you’ve seen on the internet. He then pulled out an airsoft rifle and fired five to seven, pellets, if you will, in the direction of 26 Federal Plaza. At that time, Federal Protective Services, two officers a — a gray suit, a contractor with Allied that is employed to guard this building — those three people and the two officers standing behind me in the blue shirts are the officers that intervened and took Mr. Arrabaca into custody. While we had him on the ground. An FBI agent jumped in and they — they put handcuffs on him and took him into the building. He is currently in custody and he has been interviewed. Arrabaca is a former United States Army soldier. He was enlisted for approximately four years, serving from 2001 to 2005. He was a repairman or mechanic on Patriot missile systems. He is 43 years old.”
“There were injuries in this. Three people were injured. Minor injuries, one civilian and two government employees. Right now, our evidence response team is out working with NYPD and our New York Joint Terrorism Task Force to collect evidence to conduct interviews. We have located a vehicle of Mr. Arrabaca’s. We have seized that vehicle. We are procuring or obtaining a search warrant.”
“Mr. Arrabaca came armed with bad intentions. I will say that 26 Federal Plaza has long been a target of extremists, of terrorists. And today the extremism was brought here. The building was attacked. Mr. Arrabaca was looking to injure people and harm people. He had two axes, a hammer, a machete and three knives, fixed blade knives. He had, as I said earlier, six incendiary devices or fireworks, and he had some other destructive items. Going forward today, like I said, we’ll do more interviews, we’ll collect more evidence and we will — and I’ll leave to Mr. McDonald to talk about charges. We take this very seriously.”
“On his cart — he had a car — he had anti-ICE literature on it. When he was being arrested, he yelled derogatory terms to ICE, used bad words, obviously. He is an anti-American, anti-government extremist. We know that from what he said. We know that from what he has said, post arrest. And we know that from what — his actions that he tried to take today.”
BREAKING: Assistant Director in Charge for the FBI’s NY Field office confirms the suspect in the explosion outside the NYC federal building was an “anti-ICE” radical…
“Today, just before 9 A.M., a man by the name of Andrew Arrabaca — A-r-r-a-b-a-c-a — arrived at 26 Federal… pic.twitter.com/SOv8YeibdI
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 20, 2026
Assistant Director in Charge for the FBI’s NY Field office: “We’re collecting the evidence, and we know there were anti-government and anti-American statements made. And we know that an incendiary device and gasoline were used to start a fire at. Charges are determined by the… pic.twitter.com/4kKdYaQEvw
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 20, 2026
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on the man who poured gasoline outside the NYC federal building and lit it on fire…
“Also affixed to the suspect’s cart was a sign reading, ‘ICE Off Our Streets.’ During the incident, the suspect was wearing a military-style helmet. This… pic.twitter.com/NcnIA9VPK5
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 20, 2026
***Morning report….
The FBI arrested a suspect for allegedly setting off an incendiary device in front of a federal building that has an immigration court in New York City.
“Officials said the fire appeared to be started by fireworks, which were loaded into a wagon bearing a sign that read “ICE out of our streets,” reported PIX 11.
New reports indicate that the explosion injured three people, including two firefighters. All of them went to an area hospital.
Bill Melugin from Fox News posted on X:
FBI statement to @FoxNews:
“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.”
NYPD tells FOX there was a “found firearm” in relation to this event, but couldn’t confirm if it was found on the suspect.
FBI statement to @FoxNews:
"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."
NYPD tells FOX there was a "found… https://t.co/bUdDbryRxC
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 20, 2026
The device consisted of fireworks and a flammable liquid and emitted smoke. The building was placed in shelter in place as a precaution while officers secured the area.
One person was taken into custody, The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation.
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) July 20, 2026
The incident took place at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. As you can see, the building is close to City Hall and one mile from One World Trade Center.
The building houses an immigration court on the 12th floor: “The New York – Federal Plaza Immigration Court falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, which is a component of the Executive Office for Immigration Review under the Department of Justice.”
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Comments
Whatever. The perpetrator will get a liberal, woke Judge who will give them a slap-on-the-wrist plea deal sentence of probation with no jail time and will be back on the street in no time whatsoever. Guaranteed.
From the photos I’ve seen in the news so far, this appears to be more than just ‘fireworks’ or a ‘smoke grenade’. This is an IED and should be treated as such.
They arrested a suspect? Good. Wring his head out like a tube of toothpaste. It’s very, very unlikely that he acted alone. Follow the leads, the money, and the info trails.
Demonstrate to all the ANTIFA thugs, DSA clowns, and other wannabes that this ends now.
Federal agency and a domestic terrorist ….sounds so 1968ish.
Or 1995ish.
Except that guy actually knew how to make a bomb.
This guy should have paid better attention on Bill Ayres’ class.
The only good communist is a dead communist, act accordingly
Look for a wokie fireworks tent operator, disposing of his unsold merch.
Probe of perimeter/tactical response by a patsy?
which were loaded into a wagon
Was it a little red wagon?
Also, why did the fireworks injure firemen? Were they not smart enough to throw a fire blanket over the whole thing? Or soak it with water until the fireworks are no longer flammable?
Lastly, if this happened around here, I’d suggest the guy would have been shot. He’s carrying what appears to be a firearm and he’s committing arson of an occupied building. I’d say there’s reasonable imminent fear of grave bodily harm or death to passersby and the people in the building. *BLAM* *BLAM* No longer a problem.
Also, did he watch too many cartoons as a kid? He thinks fireworks are going to cause real damage? ‘Cause they’re ‘splodey, I guess. “Gonna go up like the explosives shack with Yosemite Sam inside. Yessirree! Kablooie!”
Look the guy is clearly a nut. “He had two axes, a hammer, a machete and three knives, fixed blade knives.” This is not the weapons cache a rational radical would choose for this mission. I also note he had an air-pistol. All this suggests he is on a list somewhere as a crazy who can’t buy guns. Somebody in authority knew damn well he’s a loony-tune who really shouldn’t wandering among us.
This leads me to a point that I am going to hammer at every opportunity:
We need changes in the law to facilitate removing crazy people from the public arena. Our current standard is far too generous in its definition of “Danger to others.” We need to bring back the mental institutions and the ability to put people in them
Absolutely. We gotta have basic safeguards to prevent abuse but yes we gotta get back to separation of the Cray Cray from others …including prisons/jails. Lots of whackos in prison who belong in a mental health facility ..if they had one available to receive them and system that cared enough about them to get them off the street and into a mental health facility before they killed/raped/assaulted.
What we can’t have is some ripe for abuse process like the red flag laws in some States that allow an Ex Spouse, Ex lover to kick off the process. Get them in front of at least two separate disinterested Psychologists who mist independently agree on a diagnosis, the severity and level of risk then make the case to a Judge in an adversarial hearing where the person can present their own expert and other witness testimony before anyone gets apprehended. It’s another thing if LEO find some dude is sky screaming waving a machete at 3 PM at the bus stop, that guy gets locked up first then the assessment afterwards.
The guy didn’t get the chaos bang he hoped for. Heh. Slap on the wrist ensues.