NYC smoke bomb: Man in custody after fire set outside 26 Federal Plaza immigration building in Lower Manhattan - ABC7 New York

What the report says

WABC-TV reported that a man was taken into custody after officials said he set a fire outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, a federal building that houses immigration processing and offices for agencies including the FBI and ICE. The incident happened around 8:30 a.m. Monday, according to police cited by the station. The Department of Homeland Security said video showed the suspect pouring gasoline outside the building before igniting it.

Authorities identified the suspect as Andrew Arrabaca, 43, of Poughkeepsie. The FBI said he poured gasoline in a stairwell, lit it with a firework and caused flames and smoke to rise along the building’s exterior before firing several pellets from an airsoft gun. Officials said he was carrying gasoline, fireworks, two axes, a hammer, a machete and knives. WABC reported that Arrabaca is a U.S. Army veteran who served from 2001 to 2005 and worked as a mechanic on Patriot missile systems.

Officials described the suspect as having a history of anti-ICE activity, and the NYPD said it was examining a cart with a sign reading “ICE Off Our Streets.” DHS described him as an “anti-ICE rioter,” while the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating. WABC reported that formal charges had not yet been filed at the time of publication.

Several people, including a civilian and two government employees, suffered minor injuries, according to officials. Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the episode “deeply disturbing,” said he was relieved no one was seriously hurt, and said the city would support the federal investigation.