Attack on Los Angeles Federal Building Underscores Rising Violence Toward DHS Personnel
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Executive Summary
A 54 year old Koreatown resident, Jose Francisco Jovel, was arrested on December 2, 2025 for throwing multiple Molotov cocktails at officers and entrances of the Los Angeles Federal Building, which houses ICE and other federal agencies. The attack, which investigators say was motivated by anti immigration enforcement sentiment, caused no injuries only because the devices failed to ignite. Federal officials warn that this incident reflects a sharp rise in threats and assaults targeting DHS personnel and facilities nationwide.
Analysis
The Los Angeles attack illustrates how individuals expressing anger over federal immigration policies can escalate to direct attempts at violence against DHS officers. Federal statements describe Jovel as openly shouting anti ICE messages, acknowledging his attack as a “terrorist” act, and urging others to shoot officers once detained. This aligns with broader DHS reporting that assaults and death threats against immigration enforcement personnel have spiked dramatically in recent years.
DHS reported that ICE personnel are facing a one thousand one hundred fifty percent increase in assaults and an eight thousand percent increase in death threats, situating this incident within a larger upward trend in aggression toward federal immigration officers.
According to DHS, Jovel threw at least two Molotov cocktails at Protective Security Officers outside the building while yelling anti ICE rhetoric and stated after his arrest that he intended to blow up the facility and “spray down” the officers.
Justice Department records show Jovel also threw devices directly into employee and public entrances while civilians waited in line, and evidence suggests he attempted to ignite at least one device before officers subdued him.
Law enforcement recovered five additional Molotov cocktails, a lighter, knives, and other items, and officials say Jovel admitted his actions were motivated by anger over U.S. immigration policies.
He had earlier set fire to his apartment after receiving an eviction notice the same morning, indicating rapid escalation from a personal crisis to violent political targeting of federal personnel.
While Jovel has a long criminal history dating back nearly four decades, including attempted murder and armed robbery, the political framing he expressed during and after the attack aligns with federal concerns about individuals adopting anti government narratives and targeting DHS facilities as symbols of those grievances. Statements from DHS and the U.S. Attorney’s Office argue that hostile rhetoric directed at immigration enforcement officers is contributing to real world violence. Jovel is charged with attempted malicious damage of federal property and faces five to twenty years in prison if convicted.
