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The man who allegedly ignited an incendiary device outside of a federal building that houses an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in New York City has been identified by law enforcement.
Officials said 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca, a U.S. Army veteran, is an “anti-American, anti-government extremist” who sought to injure people at 26 Federal Plaza when he arrived Monday morning armed with two airsoft guns, three knives, a machete, a hammer, two axes and other destructive items.
Around 8:30 a.m., the former soldier allegedly ignited fireworks outside the federal building, where multiple immigration services are housed, then proceeded to dump a bucket of flammable fluid and start a fire.
Arrabaca had a cart that had “anti-ICE literature” on it and yelled “derogatory terms” about ICE officers while being arrested, officials said during a Monday afternoon press conference.
Three people suffered minor injuries during the incident, one immigrant and two government employees.
“This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza,” the FBI’s New York field office said in a statement. “The individual has been taken into custody and the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the incident.”
Of the three people who were injured, one person was taken to a nearby hospital, the New York Fire Department told the New York Times.
Officials said Arrabaca, who is originally from Poughkeepsie, was living in Harlem. A preliminary investigation into his movements indicates he took a subway to midtown Manhattan Sunday and stayed overnight near the Holland Tunnel. Monday morning, he traveled downtown.
A video of the suspect, obtained by ABC7, showed the suspect dumping fluid and what appeared to be canisters onto the ground in front of 26 Federal Plaza before setting it on fire.
Flames quickly erupted, and a nearby security officer quickly grabbed the suspect before law enforcement intervened and arrested Arrabaca.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said that Arrabaca was targeting the building and, in a post-incident interview, told law enforcement “he was ok if he hurt or killed people going in and out of the building.”
Arrabaca allegedly arrived at the scene with a cart that had a sign attached, reading: “ICE off our streets.”
During a press conference Monday afternoon, Barnacle said the civilian injured was an immigrant who was at 26 Federal Plaza for an immigration hearing.
“The one civilian victim was an immigrant that had a hearing today for their immigration status. So that’s quite unfortunate and quite ironic at the same time,” Barnacle said.
Arrabaca also carried several “destructive” items, including airsoft guns, which shoot plastic pellets, six fireworks, three knives, a machete, two axes, a hammer, a bucket of flammable fluid and more.
Officials said Arrabaca served in the U.S. military from 2001 until 2005 and worked as a mechanic on missile systems.
Charges have not yet been filed in the incident.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the incident “deeply disturbing” in a statement on X.
“I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody. My team is in touch with the NYPD and we will support the federal investigation. Our administration will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city — and hold accountable any who threaten that,” Mamdani wrote.
The joint task force combines resources from the FBI with the New York Police Department.
26 Federal Plaza is located in downtown Manhattan and houses the New York field office of ICE, immigration courts, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and other agencies.
There has been much attention on the building over the last year as the Trump administration has cracked down on illegal immigration and conducted ICE operations in New York City. Protesters have taken to the streets surrounding the building in opposition to the administration’s harsh enforcement.
The administration has faced intense scrutiny for deploying federal agents inside 26 Federal Plaza to arrest immigrants as they arrive for court hearings or check-ins.
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