A 43‑year‑old former Army soldier was arrested after igniting fireworks and an accelerant outside the federal courthouse at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan.
Andrew Arrabaca, a Poughkeepsie native who served in the U.S. Army (2001‑04) and Army National Guard (2004‑05), allegedly fired 5‑7 pellets from a pellet gun into the building, launched fireworks, poured gasoline onto the stairwell, and set the premises on fire. Federal agents tackled him, citing an arsenal that included a machete, deux axes, three knives, and more keys to his vandalism.
Three people were injured during the commotion, including a government employee and an immigrant attending a status hearing. Bystanders and officers sustained only minor injuries. The fire was extinguished promptly by the FDNY.
The Department of Homeland Security labeled Arrabaca an “anti‑ICE rioter,” while FBI officials said he made “anti‑government and anti‑ICE statements” during the incident. The lower‑Manhattan location has become a flashpoint for protests against former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, a backdrop that only heightened the arrival of a volatile protester.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared the incident “deeply disturbing,” pledging continued protection for New Yorkers. Arrabaca’s arrest underscores how siren roar of policy disputes may spill into the streets—and the new ways workers do or do not maintain public safety on the ground.
