Anti-Government Fury Ignites NYC Federal Plaza

A man armed with weapons, gasoline, and fireworks allegedly tried to torch a New York federal building and told agents he did not care if anyone lived or died.

Story Snapshot

Federal agents say 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca set off an incendiary device outside Manhattan’s 26 Federal Plaza, injuring three people.
Officials describe him as an anti-American, anti-government extremist who targeted a building that houses immigration and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offices.
Arrabaca allegedly said he was fine with hurting or killing federal workers and civilians going in and out of the building.
The case highlights growing anger at federal power from both right and left, and the rising trend of domestic attacks on government facilities.

What Officials Say Happened Outside 26 Federal Plaza

On Monday morning in lower Manhattan, investigators say Andrew Arrabaca wheeled a cart loaded with fireworks and flammable liquid to an employee entrance at 26 Federal Plaza, a 41‑story federal complex that houses an immigration court and FBI offices. They say he poured gasoline on the ground, placed a large canister-style firework on top, and used a lighter to ignite it, creating a sudden fire and heavy smoke as workers arrived for the day.

Federal officials say Arrabaca then pulled out what they describe as an airsoft or pellet rifle and fired several rounds toward the building. As alarms sounded and smoke spread, a federal employee and at least one civilian suffered minor injuries and were later released from the hospital. Officers on scene quickly moved in, subdued Arrabaca, and took him into custody as bomb technicians began checking his cart and the surrounding area for more devices.

Profile of the Suspect and the Alleged Motive

FBI New York field office Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said Arrabaca is a former soldier who served from 2001 to 2005 working as a mechanic on Patriot missile systems. Officials say that when they searched him and his cart, they found an array of weapons, including two axes, a hammer, a machete, three knives, and six incendiary devices, along with printed material opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to Barnacle, Arrabaca “came armed with bad intentions,” carried “anti-ICE literature,” and yelled insults at immigration officers as he was being arrested. Barnacle said the suspect later told investigators that he was “targeting the building” and was “OK if he hurt or killed people going in and out of the building, whether they were federal employees or civilians.” The FBI is calling it an “anti-government attack on a federal facility” and has assigned its Joint Terrorism Task Force to lead the case.

Why This Fits a Larger Pattern of Anger at Federal Power

FBI officials say 26 Federal Plaza has long been a target for extremists because it houses both the FBI and immigration enforcement, two agencies that have become lightning rods in the country’s political fights. In recent years, national security researchers have tracked a rise in anti-government plots and attacks aimed at government buildings, police, and the military, fueled less by foreign groups and more by American citizens who see the federal government itself as the enemy.

One long-term study found hundreds of planned or attempted attacks on government targets over three decades, most driven by people classified as anti-government extremists. Another analysis found that from 2020 to 2024, there were more terrorist plots and attacks against government, military, and law enforcement targets than any other category in the United States. The tools used are often simple, like homemade incendiary devices and small arms, but can still cause fear, injury, and chaos.

Shared Frustration, Dangerous Tactics

Across the political spectrum, many Americans now feel that Washington, D.C. works for lobbyists, big corporations, and insiders instead of regular citizens. People on the right point to illegal immigration, high costs of living, and what they see as a “two-tiered” justice system. People on the left point to wealth inequality, deportations, and what they view as discrimination against minorities and the poor. Both sides see a system that often seems deaf to their struggles.

🚨 #BREAKING: The FBI says Andrew Arrabaca allegedly poured gasoline at the employee entrance of Federal Plaza in New York City before igniting it with a lighter and an incendiary device.

According to investigators, Arrabaca was also allegedly carrying two axes, a hammer, a… https://t.co/zcjH2R1e3X pic.twitter.com/Q8c7SVX866

— The Globe & News (@TheGlobeNewt) July 20, 2026

But officials stress that turning that anger into violence at federal buildings crosses a line that threatens everyone. When someone lights a fire at a busy entrance and sprays pellets toward office windows, a federal worker heading to a shift and a janitor on a smoke break are just as exposed as any senior official. As Barnacle put it, Arrabaca was “looking to injure people and harm people,” a reminder that when rage boils over into attacks, ordinary Americans end up in the line of fire.