Andrew Arrabaca Charged After Manhattan Federal Building Fire, Armed with Axes and Machete

A US Army veteran, Andrew Arrabaca, aged 43, faces federal charges after allegedly setting multiple fires outside a government building in Lower Manhattan. The incident took place outside 201 Varick Street, which houses offices for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

According to federal prosecutors, Arrabaca started four separate fires using accelerants. FBI agents reported finding him in possession of a considerable arsenal, including two axes, a machete, three knives, and fireworks. Following his arrest, Arrabaca reportedly confessed to the acts, stating he was protesting ICE, an organisation he described as 'evil' and 'the new Nazis'.

The fire department quickly extinguished the blazes, which caused damage to the building's exterior. There were no reported injuries. Prosecutors indicated that Arrabaca, who served in the Army from 2000 to 2004, had previously posted anti-government content online, including threats against public officials and calls for the abolition of ICE. He is currently being held without bail, awaiting further proceedings.