⏱ 2 min read
Gabriel Mendoza-Acoltzi, a 19-year-old from Avondale, Arizona, attempted to set fire to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) property in Surprise, Arizona, on February 21, 2026. Mendoza-Acoltzi broke a window and tried to light the building on fire using a propane tank and a long torch. The incident occurred just after 1 am, and a video camera in the area captured the entire ordeal. A profane anti-ICE message was also found spelled out with landscaping rocks on the sidewalk.
Mendoza-Acoltzi’s actions were caught on camera, showing him entering the parking lot in his Honda Civic, placing the propane tank next to the ICE building, and using the torch to light the window shades inside the lobby on fire. The video footage played a crucial role in identifying Mendoza-Acoltzi as the perpetrator.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the City of Surprise Police and Fire Departments. Mendoza-Acoltzi was taken into custody on May 7, 2026, and was indicted on charges of Malicious Damage to Federal Property and Willful Depredation Against Property of the United States.
If convicted, Mendoza-Acoltzi faces a penalty of 5 to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and 1 to 3 years of supervised release. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Ryan McCarthy and Stephen Marlowe of the District of Arizona, Phoenix.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: Arizona
- Location: AZ
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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