A 54-year-old man was taken into custody on Monday after reportedly hurling Molotov cocktails at officers stationed outside a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services facility in Los Angeles while shouting insults directed at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS stated that no one was injured and no property was damaged because the bottles were not lit and failed to ignite when thrown. Officials said the man arrived at the building carrying several Molotov cocktails and began shouting hostile comments about ICE before throwing two of the devices toward the officers.
After his arrest, the suspect allegedly told authorities that he intended to destroy the building and harm the officers. DHS reported that he continued making derogatory statements about ICE personnel during questioning. Officers found four knives and a multi-tool on him at the time of his detention.
Although DHS did not release his name, the agency noted that the individual has a lengthy criminal record, including an attempted murder charge from 1987, an armed robbery charge from 1991, and a charge related to annoying or molesting a minor in 2007.
The department emphasized that the incident occurred shortly after two National Guard members were shot in Washington, D.C., amid what officials describe as a rise in targeted threats and attacks against ICE personnel.
Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS assistant secretary, condemned the attack as a deliberate act against federal law enforcement and highlighted the ongoing dangers officers face in their work. She attributed the increase in threats to inflammatory rhetoric from political figures and commentators, stating that such language fuels hostility toward federal officers. McLaughlin reaffirmed that anyone who attacks law enforcement will face full prosecution under federal law.
