A man from Los Angeles has been arrested for allegedly launching homemade Molotov cocktails at a federal building in the city’s downtown area on Monday. Investigators suggest that the incident was a self-proclaimed “terrorist attack,” reportedly motivated by the man’s discontent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and deportation policies, according to confirmations from Fox News.
The suspect, whose identity remains undisclosed, attempted to set off the explosives, but they failed to ignite, authorities reported. It is alleged that he had more such incendiary devices in his possession at the time of the incident.
Thankfully, no one was injured during the event. The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon, where formal charges are anticipated to be filed against him.
Federal investigators have indicated that the man’s actions were driven by his frustration with federal immigration enforcement. Following his arrest, he allegedly told agents that they were “separating families” and declared, “this is a terrorist attack anyways,” accompanied by derogatory remarks.
The attack targeted a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, which houses the U.S. Attorney’s office, ICE, and other governmental agencies, as reported by authorities regarding the incident on Monday, December 1, 2025.
Before heading to the federal building, the suspect reportedly set his rented apartment on fire. Firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded, and an arson investigator confirmed that an accelerant was utilized in the blaze.
California Highway Patrol on Alameda Street looking towards Roybal federal building to prevent protesters from coming through in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. (Carlin Still/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The federal building in downtown Los Angeles houses the U.S. Attorney’s office and 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.
Investigators determined each Molotov cocktail was made of a breakable container and contained a wick. According to a test, the devices contained hand sanitizer or ethanol —considered capable of igniting.
Immigration activists block ICE vans during a protest against a purported ICE raid on Canal Street on Nov. 29, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
The incident comes after hundreds of anti-ICE agitators were caught on video throwing trash cans and debris at officers near a government building in New York City on Saturday. Police confirmed multiple arrests were made in relation to that attack.
