Former Soldier Arrested After Violent Incident at 26 Federal Plaza

Federal and local law enforcement have identified 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca as the individual taken into custody following a volatile confrontation at 26 Federal Plaza on Monday morning. According to the FBI, Arrabaca, a former U.S. Army soldier who served between 2001 and 2005, allegedly initiated an attack at the immigration facility around 8:30 a.m.

James Barnicle, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, stated that the suspect allegedly poured gasoline on the street and ignited it using a firework. During the incident, Arrabaca reportedly brandished an airsoft rifle and discharged several rounds. Security personnel and federal officers intervened, detaining the suspect and moving him inside the building.

Authorities reported that three people sustained injuries during the event, with one individual requiring hospitalization. The incident forced the cancellation of a scheduled naturalization ceremony. Officials noted the irony that one of the injured civilians was an immigrant attending a hearing regarding their own status.

Investigators recovered a cache of weapons from the scene, including two axes, a hammer, a machete, and three knives. A cart found in the suspect's possession contained anti-ICE literature and bore slogans critical of the agency. Barnicle described the suspect as an anti-government extremist, citing statements made by Arrabaca during and after his arrest.

Law enforcement sources indicated that the suspect traveled from Poughkeepsie, parked in Harlem, and spent time near the Holland Tunnel prior to the attack. While the FBI confirmed they do not track individual protesters, they emphasized that the suspect’s intent appeared to be the destruction of the federal facility.

As of Monday evening, formal criminal charges had not yet been filed, according to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The NYPD is currently assisting federal authorities with the ongoing investigation. The area around 26 Federal Plaza has frequently served as a site for demonstrations, a trend that has persisted as public scrutiny of ICE operations in the city continues.