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'Anti-ICE' Army veteran set fire outside Manhattan federal building, say officials
BBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Andrew Arrabaca, a former US Army soldier, was arrested after igniting a fire and shooting a pellet gun in front of 26 Federal Plaza in New York City, which houses FBI, ICE, and USCIS offices.
- Arrabaca, described as an "anti-ICE rioter" by DHS, was armed with multiple weapons including a machete, axes, knives, and fireworks, and made anti-government and anti-ICE statements during the incident.
- The suspect set fire to the building's entrance stairs by pouring an accelerant and launching fireworks, leading to three minor injuries, including two government employees and an immigrant attending a hearing.
- Federal agents tackled and detained Arrabaca, with a security officer sustaining minor injuries during the arrest; a bystander was also grazed.
- Arrabaca served in the US Army and Army National Guard from 2001 to 2005, leaving with the rank of specialist and no deployment history.
