A 43-year-old U.S. Army veteran with training on Patriot missile air defense systems was arrested Monday after pouring gasoline on the entrance of 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, igniting it with a firework, and firing an airsoft rifle at the building during the morning commute, the FBI said.
Andrew Arrabaca arrived at the 41-story federal complex on Foley Square shortly before 8:30 a.m., doused the employee entrance stairwell with gasoline, and ignited it with a lighter and a large canister firework, FBI New York Field Office Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said at a press conference Monday afternoon. Arrabaca then fired five to seven airsoft pellets toward the building before a Federal Protective Service (FPS) officer tackled and detained him, Barnacle said.
WATCH: ADIC Barnacle describes this morning’s events at 26 Federal Plaza.
At approximately 8:40 a.m. EST, an individual discharged fireworks toward the north side of the 26 Federal Plaza building, then poured an apparent accelerant on the stairs near the Worth Street pedestrian… pic.twitter.com/kTw8kkxQzs
— FBI New York (@NewYorkFBI) July 20, 2026
Three people, including two government employees and one civilian, sustained minor injuries.
Arrabaca served in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2005 as a Patriot missile system mechanic before later serving in the National Guard, FBI officials said. He was carrying anti-ICE material and a wagon bearing the message “ICE Off Our Streets,” law enforcement sources said, and was also found with two axes, a hammer, and knives.
“Mr. Arrabaca came armed with bad intentions,” Barnacle said. “I will say that 26 Federal Plaza has long been a target of extremists, of terrorists.”
26 Federal Plaza houses dozens of federal agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and has been a recurring site of protests against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest in a post on X, stating the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) was investigating.
NBC News reported that law enforcement sources said Arrabaca may have emotional issues, though these claims have not been independently verified.
