The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that a 54-year-old man was arrested following an alleged attack involving multiple Molotov cocktails directed at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Los Angeles, California.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the incident as a “clear and deliberate attack on federal law enforcement.” She emphasized the risks officers face daily while enforcing immigration laws, stating such attacks are emblematic of those they constantly endure from individuals seeking to assault them with various methods. McLaughlin added that rhetoric degrading their efforts is enabling this violence.

Jose Francisco Jovel arrived Monday at the downtown Los Angeles Federal Building shouting anti-immigration enforcement sentiments. He allegedly threw two Molotov cocktails onto sidewalks near federal officers guarding the building. According to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Jovel expressed intent to “blow up” the facility and “spray down” immigration enforcement personnel.

At the time of his arrest, authorities discovered Jovel possessed not only four knives but also an assault-type multi-tool known as a Leatherman. He faced mandatory charges including attempted malicious damage to federal property – carrying potential penalties from five years to twenty years imprisonment.

DHS noted Jovel has nearly four decades of criminal history, adding an attempted murder charge in 1987 and armed robbery in 1991 to his past.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass described the event as “absolutely unconscionable.” She extended gratitude to responding law enforcement partners from the Los Angeles Police Department and maintained that no one was hurt or injured, which she called a relief.