ICE Arrests Man Who Allegedly Threw Molotov Cocktail At Agents

Federal authorities arrested a 54-year-old man with an extensive criminal history on Monday after he allegedly launched a violent, anti-ICE attack on a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Los Angeles. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the suspect arrived at the Los Angeles Federal Building armed with multiple Molotov cocktails and prepared for mass casualties.

A Protective Security Officer reported hearing the man shouting anti-ICE slurs at officers outside the building just moments before the assault. Without warning, the suspect allegedly hurled two Molotov cocktails toward federal guards stationed at the facility.

DHS officials say the man was quickly detained. During questioning, he reportedly confessed that he intended to blow up the building and “spray down” the officers inside, continuing his barrage of hostile statements toward ICE personnel.

According to DHS, the improvised explosives failed to ignite only because the suspect did not properly light them — a mistake that may have prevented a deadly mass-casualty event. No federal employees or protective officers were hurt.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin did not mince words about the seriousness of the attack.

“This was a clear and deliberate attack on federal law enforcement, and it is emblematic of the constant attacks these brave men and women endure day in and day out as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, and gang members,” she said.

She noted that officers have increasingly faced assaults, vehicular attacks, and targeted shootings as anti-law-enforcement rhetoric intensifies. “These attacks are the consequences of hateful and un-American rhetoric by sanctuary politicians, activists, and the media who smear our officers with misinformation and false narratives. Secretary Noem has been clear: anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli identified the suspect as Jose Francisco Jovel and confirmed that investigators recovered five additional incendiary devices after the arrest.

“Jovel is charged with attempted malicious damage of federal property, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and up to 20 years’ imprisonment,” Essayli announced on X.

He added: “This case exemplifies how misleading and hateful rhetoric against federal law enforcement can and does result in violence. Irresponsible rhetoric by politicians and activists have real-world consequences. It must stop.”

The attack comes on the heels of several violent incidents targeting federal personnel, including the assassination of two National Guard soldiers on patrol in Washington, D.C. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries, while Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains hospitalized with “positive” signs of recovery.

Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, federal officials have documented a staggering 1,150 percent rise in violent attacks on federal agents and personnel nationwide.

The House Homeland Security Committee convened a hearing Wednesday to address the growing wave of violence directed at law enforcement. Lawmakers reviewed recent tragedies, including the fatal shooting earlier this year at an ICE facility in the Dallas area that left at least one dead.

America is also still grappling with broader crime trends. The FBI reports that 2023 saw assaults on law enforcement reach a ten-year high, exceeding 79,000 attacks across the country. Yet Democrats continue criticizing the Trump administration’s use of Guard units and federal officers to stabilize dangerous urban areas.

In response to the mounting threat environment — including last month’s deadly ambush of Guard troops by an Afghan national admitted under President Biden — Trump administration officials are intensifying both legal and illegal immigration enforcement efforts.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has announced she will recommend a new travel ban targeting several countries she says are contributing disproportionately to crime inside the United States.