An incendiary device was deployed outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan Monday morning, the FBI said.
The FDNY said it responded to a report of a rubbish fire outside the building, which houses the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at 8:30 a.m.
Video from the scene showed smoke billowing from the sidewalk in front of the building. The footage also showed Department of Homeland Security officers detaining a person on the sidewalk in front of the building as ICE officers worked to clear onlookers from the scene.
In a press conference Monday afternoon, James Barnacle, the FBI’s assistant director in charge of the New York field office, identified the alleged suspect as 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca and said he arrived at 26 Federal Plaza at the employee entrance just before 9 a.m.
At the location, Barnacle said Arrabaca ignited gasoline with a lighter and a large firework in a canister that proceeded to catch on fire. He then pulled out an airsoft rifle and fired five to seven pellets toward 26 Federal Plaza, according to Barnacle.
According to Barnacle, two officers and a contractor employed to guard the building took Arrabaca into custody.
According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Arrabaca pulled an orange bucket from his cart and ran toward the bushes along the line of the building. Tisch said he then dumped the contents from the bucket, which she said was an incendiary liquid, between two sets of bushes along the perimeter of the property, igniting a fire.
Two airsoft rifles and a container with flammable liquid were recovered, officials said. There was also a sign on his cart that read “ICE off our streets,” according to Tisch, who also said Arrabaca was wearing military-style helmet.
Tisch said Arrabaca’s black Toyota Rav 4 car was parked around West 124th Street and Broadway and is “subject to search pending a search warrant,” according to Tisch.
“Our work with the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Southern District of New York is critical to keeping our city safe. And I commend the federal agents and contractors and officers who responded to the threat this morning,” Tisch said.
According to Barnacle, Arrabaca is former U.S. Army soldier who served between 2001-2005.
Barnacle said three people were injured with minor injuries — one civilian and two government employees.
Arrabaca is currently in custody and has been interviewed, officials said.
According to officials, there are no charges at this moment and the investigation will continue.
The FBI said its New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the incident.
In a statement, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration “will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city — and hold accountable any who threaten that.”
What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing. 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…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 20, 2026
“What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing. 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,” he added.
The NYPD warned New Yorkers to expect traffic delays, mass transit disruptions, road closures and emergency personnel near Worth and Lafayette streets due to the ongoing investigation.
26 Federal Plaza has been the site of many immigration protests over the past year.