LA man seen throwing Molotov cocktail into federal building, feds say

Federal authorities released caller images of the fishy accused of throwing Molotov cocktails into a downtown national gathering successful Los Angeles connected Monday, identifying him arsenic 54-year-old Jose Francisco Jovel.

Jovel, a Los Angeles nonmigratory who allegedly carried retired "an onslaught instrumentality enforcement believes was motivated by anti-immigration enforcement sentiment," is expected to marque an archetypal national tribunal quality Wednesday day connected a complaint of attempted malicious harm of national property, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.

"This lawsuit exemplifies however misleading and hateful rhetoric against national instrumentality enforcement tin and does effect successful violence," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said successful a statement. "Irresponsible rhetoric by politicians and activists person real-world consequences. It indispensable stop." 

"During his arrest, Jovel said helium was motivated by his choler astatine the national authorities of its migration policies and actions," the Attorney's Office added. "Jovel described his actions arsenic 'a violent attack' and said to the officers, 'you’re separating families' – a remark commonly made by opponents of existent United States authorities migration policies. He past yelled for radical to 'start shooting these,' referring to the officers."

MAN IN CUSTODY FOR ALLEGEDLY THROWING MOLOTOV COCKTAILS INTO LA FEDERAL BUILDING, DOCUMENTS SHOW

Jose Francisco Jovel is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails astatine a national gathering successful Los Angeles, California, connected Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. (U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California)

One representation released by authorities allegedly shows Jovel connected the steps of the building, portion different allegedly shows incendiary devices. The fishy attempted to detonate the devices, but they did not ignite, investigators said.

If convicted, Jovel would look a mandatory minimum condemnation of 5 years successful national situation and a statutory maximum condemnation of 20 years successful national prison, national authorities said.

Authorities said that earlier Jovel went to the national gathering Monday morning, helium intentionally lit his rented flat connected fire. Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded, and an arson researcher determined an accelerant was utilized successful that fire.

WAVE OF CAR ATTACKS ON ICE AGENTS FOLLOWS INCENDIARY RHETORIC FROM TARGET-CITY LEADERS

The national gathering successful downtown Los Angeles, wherever the U.S. Attorney’s office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and different agencies are housed, was targeted successful an alleged onslaught connected Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, authorities said. (Google Maps)

The national gathering successful downtown Los Angeles houses the U.S. Attorney’s bureau and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), among different agencies, and is wherever the processing of galore amerciable immigrants takes place. 

The fishy was accused of throwing 1 of the Molotov cocktails into a doorway marked arsenic an worker entrance, investigators said, adding that the incendiary instrumentality broke into pieces, had charring connected it and was believed to beryllium lit connected fire. The fishy past allegedly threw a 2nd Molotov cocktail done a abstracted nationalist doorway wherever radical were lining up to spell done security.

California Highway Patrol connected Alameda Street looking towards the national gathering to forestall protesters coming done successful Los Angeles, California, connected June 9, 2025.  (Carlin Still/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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"There tin beryllium zero tolerance for immoderate targeting of instrumentality enforcement officials – fto unsocial convulsive acts – and we’re fortunate that the devices allegedly thrown by the taxable did not physically injure anyone," Akil Davis, the Assistant Director successful Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said successful a statement. "The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is dedicated to investigating and holding accountable anyone who conducts targeted attacks against authorities employees." 

Fox News' Matt Finn and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.