A 31 year old man was arrested Friday after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at an ICE building in downtown Atlanta earlier in the week. The arrest was announced [1] in a press release detailing the alleged attack and the evidence recovered from the scene.
The suspect was identified as Inique Hinton. According to the press release, security cameras captured Hinton walking near the ICE facility on Oct. 20.
Hinton allegedly ignited an item before throwing it at the building. The object struck the facility’s exterior fence, which caught fire following the impact.
The account places the alleged actions near the ICE building and identifies the exterior fence as the point struck by the item. The fire was therefore reported on federal property outside the building.
Investigators searched the scene after the incident. They recovered a burned cloth, lighter fluid, a glass bottle and a lighter, according to the press release.
Those materials were recovered where the alleged Molotov cocktail attack occurred. The list of items collected included both the glass bottle and the burned cloth, along with the lighter and lighter fluid.
The incident prompted an investigation involving federal and local law enforcement. The FBI and the Atlanta Police Department are investigating the alleged attack.
Hinton was arrested Friday, several days after the security camera footage from Oct. 20. The press release described the matter as an alleged attempt to set fire to the federal building.
A federal magistrate judge charged Hinton with attempted arson of a federal building. He was also charged with depredation of government property.
The two charges concern both the alleged effort to burn the ICE building and the alleged damage to government property.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg sharply condemned the alleged use of an incendiary device against a federal facility. His statement characterized such an attack as a serious crime requiring a forceful response.
“Attacking a federal building with an incendiary device like a Molotov cocktail is a despicable, terroristic crime that warrants an immediate and severe response,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said.
“My office will relentlessly investigate, pursue and prosecute any act of arson targeting government institutions and will ensure that the perpetrators bear the full consequences of their actions.”
Hertzberg’s statement focused on attacks targeting government institutions and pledged continued investigation and prosecution. His remarks specifically referenced arson and the use of a Molotov cocktail against a federal building.
BREAKING:
CAUGHT – MOLOTOV COCKTAIL THROWER Inique Hinton has been ARRESTED on federal arson and damaging government property charges after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at an ERO facility in Atlanta, Georgia.
HSI proudly stands with our federal, state, and local partners in holding those who attack law enforcement accountable.
— Homeland Security Investigations (@HSI_HQ) October 24, 2026 [2]
The alleged device struck the fence rather than another location described in the release. The fence then caught fire, leading investigators to recover the bottle, burned cloth, lighter fluid and lighter.
The FBI and Atlanta police remain responsible for investigating the incident. Their investigation follows Hinton’s arrest and the filing of the two federal charges identified in the press release.
The case centers on the alleged Oct. 20 attack at the downtown Atlanta ICE facility. Hinton now faces charges of attempted arson of a federal building and depredation of government property over the fiery incident.