A possible anti-ICE activist deployed an “incendiary device” outside of 26 Federal Plaza on Foley Square, injuring two people as smoke spewed into the air, according to the head of the FBI and law enforcement sources.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed in a post on X that the suspect was taken into custody. Two minor injuries were reported.
This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza in New York. The individual is in custody and two minor injuries reported thus far. FBI JTTF is investigating the incident. @NewYorkFBI
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) July 20, 2026
Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the situation “deeply disturbing” in his own X post and said he was relieved no one was seriously hurt.
Much remains under investigation. According to the law enforcement sources, the preliminary probe suggested the man wheeled a cart of fireworks and flammable liquid to the scene and ignited it. He also had what appeared to be a few airsoft rifles, which are pellet- or BB-type rifles, the sources said.
Four sources identify the suspect as 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca. They say he may have emotional issues. It wasn’t immediately clear where the suspect was from. Sources say the NYPD Bomb Squad was checking out his cart as a precaution.
Two people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries as a precaution, the NYPD said.
Video shows smoke billowing from the ground outside the building, by Worth and Lafayette streets. Multiple officers are at the scene trying to assess the situation. Later, they appear to have a person on the ground.
26 Federal Plaza on Foley Square is the primary federal office complex in New York City. The 41-story building houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices, the FBI, and other agencies.
Patel said the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating.