On Saturday morning, February 21st, a warehouse belonging to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Surprise, Arizona, was suspected to have been the target of an arson attack.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Phoenix Division reported that around 1:30 am local time that Saturday, the Surprise Police Department received a report of criminal damage to the recently acquired ICE building.
The FBI confirmed the presence of damaged windows and traces of “minor and limited fire activity” at the facility, indicating that someone had smashed the windows from the outside, thrown ignited propane tanks into the warehouse, and then fled.
The FBI is currently conducting a thorough investigation and has enlisted the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News that the suspect “broke windows, set a fire, threw propane tanks into the building, and then fled.” The spokesperson also mentioned that the indoor sprinkler system quickly activated, extinguishing the fire.
As of Saturday afternoon, no information regarding suspects or arrests had been made public.
Just a few days ago, authorities in Idaho launched an investigation into an attempted arson incident at the DHS office building in Meridian, Idaho.
Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea stated that an unidentified individual allegedly stole an ambulance from the parking lot of St. Luke’s West Hospital on Wednesday, February 18th, and retrieved a pre-prepared gas canister from the nearby vegetation. The individual then drove the ambulance into the North Portico Building, where the DHS office is located.
Investigators believe the suspect had poured accelerant inside and outside the ambulance beforehand. Basterrechea noted that the suspect was scared off by law enforcement officers before being able to ignite the accelerant.
Basterrechea emphasized that the location was a DHS office, which was known in the local community as an open secret, sparking much speculation surrounding DHS renting office space there.
He stressed, “Comments on social media such as ‘property destruction is not violence’ are entirely mistaken; this was unquestionably an act of violence, and if the suspect had not been stopped, there is no doubt this building would have been set on fire, endangering the lives of emergency personnel and others.”
The Meridian Police Department is collaborating with the FBI, ATF, DHS, Idaho State Police, and other local law enforcement partners to investigate the attack that occurred in Idaho on Wednesday.
In recent months, ICE facilities across the United States have been attracting the attention of Congress members. Judge Jia Cobb of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling on January 19th, requiring that DHS reinstate a provision: congressional oversight visits to ICE facilities must be notified seven days in advance, which was found not to violate a previous court order.
(This article references reporting from FOX NEWS)