UMVA has learned that a disturbing incident of vandalism and attempted arson has shaken an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Arizona, leaving authorities scrambling to investigate and prosecute the suspect.
Gerardo Mendoza-Acoltzi, a resident of Avondale, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of malicious damage to federal property and willful depredation against property of the United States, after allegedly using a propane tank and torch to ignite materials inside the building.
Court documents reveal that Mendoza-Acoltzi broke a window at the ICE property before attempting to set the building ablaze just after 1 a.m. on February 21, 2026, in a brazen and calculated attack that has left federal authorities reeling.
Surveillance footage obtained by investigators shows Mendoza-Acoltzi arriving at the facility shortly before midnight, unloading a propane tank near the front entrance, and later returning to smash a lobby window with the tank, before using a torch connected to the tank to ignite window shades inside the building.
In a chilling twist, investigators allege that Mendoza-Acoltzi also arranged rocks outside the facility to spell an anti-ICE message, leaving behind a stark warning of the growing tensions and threats targeting immigration enforcement facilities and personnel.
Mendoza-Acoltzi was arrested on May 7 and made his initial appearance in federal court shortly afterward, as federal prosecutors vowed to hold him accountable for the serious charges, which carry significant penalties, including up to 20 years in federal prison for attempted arson of federal property.
The Arizona case is part of a disturbing trend of threats and attacks targeting immigration enforcement and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities nationwide, with federal officials increasingly warning about the risks and consequences of such actions.
Just days before the Arizona incident, state and federal authorities launched an investigation into an attempted arson attack at a DHS office building in Meridian, Idaho, where a suspect allegedly stole an ambulance and attempted to set it ablaze in front of the building.
The charges against Mendoza-Acoltzi are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, but the severity of the charges and the calculated nature of the attack have raised concerns about the safety and security of federal facilities and personnel.
