Federal authorities have unveiled new images of the individual accused of hurling Molotov cocktails into a federal building in downtown Los Angeles. The suspect, identified as 54-year-old Jose Francisco Jovel, is at the center of this alarming incident.
Jovel, a resident of Los Angeles, is believed to have carried out the attack driven by sentiments against immigration enforcement, according to law enforcement. He is slated to appear in federal court this Wednesday afternoon, facing charges of attempted malicious damage to federal property, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
“This case highlights the dangerous consequences of inflammatory rhetoric aimed at federal law enforcement,” remarked First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “Such irresponsible discourse from politicians and activists can lead to real-world violence. It needs to end.”
During his arrest, Jovel reportedly expressed that his actions were fueled by anger at the federal government’s immigration policies. The Attorney’s Office noted that Jovel referred to his actions as “a terrorist attack” and confronted officers with the accusation, “you’re separating families,” a common criticism of U.S. immigration policies. He further incited others by urging them to “start shooting these,” directed at the officers.
Jose Francisco Jovel stands accused of the attempted attack on the federal building in Los Angeles on Monday, December 1, 2025. (Image courtesy of U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California)
Among the images released, one allegedly captures Jovel on the building’s steps, while another purportedly shows the incendiary devices. Investigators reported that Jovel attempted to ignite these devices, but fortunately, they failed to detonate.
If convicted, Jovel would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, federal authorities said.
Authorities said that before Jovel went to the federal building Monday morning, he intentionally lit his rented apartment on fire. Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded, and an arson investigator determined an accelerant was used in that fire.
The federal building in downtown Los Angeles, where the U.S. Attorney’s office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies are housed, was targeted in an alleged attack on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, authorities said. (Google Maps)
The federal building in downtown Los Angeles houses the U.S. Attorney’s office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), among other agencies, and is where the processing of many illegal immigrants takes place.
The suspect was accused of throwing one of the Molotov cocktails into a door marked as an employee entrance, investigators said, adding that the incendiary device broke into pieces, had charring on it and was believed to be lit on fire. The suspect then allegedly threw a second Molotov cocktail through a separate public door where people were lining up to go through security.
California Highway Patrol on Alameda Street looking towards the federal building to prevent protesters coming through in Los Angeles, California, on June 9, 2025. (Carlin Still/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“There can be zero tolerance for any targeting of law enforcement officials – let alone violent acts – and we’re lucky that the devices allegedly thrown by the subject did not physically injure anyone,” Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said in a statement. “The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is dedicated to investigating and holding accountable anyone who conducts targeted attacks against government employees.”
