January 1, Georgia Man Nabbed After Molotov Attack on Atlanta ICE Facility

Wyatt’s Take

• A Georgia man faces federal terrorism charges after hurling a firebomb at an ICE building in Atlanta.
• Prosecutors call the attack an assault on democracy and promise the strongest possible response.
• The arrest sends a clear message that violence against federal law enforcement will not be tolerated.

Federal agents arrested a 31-year-old Georgia man Thursday after he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in downtown Atlanta.

Prosecutors described the act as terrorism and political violence aimed at federal property.

“An attack on federal property is an attack against our democracy. It is an act of terrorism. It is an act of political violence, and it cannot stand,” U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said during a news conference.

Security cameras caught the suspect walking near the ICE facility at 180 Ted Turner Drive just before 8:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Minutes later, he allegedly lit an object and threw it at the building, striking the fence and starting a fire.

Investigators found burned cloth, lighter fluid, a glass bottle, and a lighter at the scene.

The suspect was taken into custody Thursday by the FBI at a residence in Cobb County.

“This was obviously an attack directed at the ICE facility,” Hertzberg said, adding that prosecutors would respond with “extreme severity” because “we need to send the message that this is not OK.”

“We can talk about immigration, we can have civil discourse, but we cannot allow criminal acts, terroristic acts, like the one that was committed three days ago in our city,” he continued.

The Atlanta ICE building had been targeted before, during the summer of 2020.

“I want to make very clear we are not going back to that,” Hertzberg said. “We will not tolerate attacks on government property and attacks against federal law enforcement.”

Atlanta police tried to catch the suspect that night but could not. The FBI later released photos and offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his arrest.

The suspect faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted of attempted arson.

The government-property charge carries up to 10 years. The investigation is ongoing.

Wyatt Matters

Hardworking Americans expect their government to protect federal facilities and the officers who enforce the law. Attacks like this threaten the safety and order that keep our communities secure.