A Mexican national accused of attacking an Iwo Jima monument replica near Quantico, Virginia, is an illegal alien and former DACA recipient, according to federal sources. The sledgehammer assault caused extensive damage and left one of the monument’s Marine figures without a head.

Prince William County police said officers found Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano “actively damaging the statue with a sledgehammer” shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday. The incident occurred at the intersection of Richmond Highway and Fuller Road in the community of Triangle.

Police estimated that the assault caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. The monument stands near the Quantico Marine base and depicts Marines in the iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising scene.

The destruction was not limited to one figure. A second Marine was left without the bayonet from the rifle slung across his back, while another figure’s helmet and face had been “chipped and gouged,” according to police.

NEW: Multiple federal sources confirm to @FoxNews that the suspect arrested for using a sledgehammer to behead a WW2 Iwo Jima monument in Quantico, VA on Tuesday is a Mexican illegal alien & former DACA recipient whose legal status expired this year.

Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano has now been charged with felony destruction of property and trespass with intent to damage property. Per federal sources, Soriano illegally crossed into the U.S. in December 1999. He was granted DACA by the Obama administration in 2014 and had it extended for years, most recently by the Biden admin in 2024, but he lost his DACA status in August of this year when it wasn’t renewed by the Trump administration. — Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 23, 2026

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Maldonado Soriano, 27, of Stafford, was arrested without incident. He remained held without bond following the arrest, according to the report cited by The Washington Post.

The detailed report said he faces two felony charges: injury to a monument and destruction of property. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of trespass with intent to damage property.

A representative for the attorney identified in online court records as handling Maldonado Soriano’s case said the office could not yet comment. Authorities have not determined why he allegedly attacked the monument.

BREAKING: Outrage erupts after man named "Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano" took a SLEDGEHAMMER to the historic Iwo Jima statue at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia and knocked the head off one of the Marines

HE LITERALLY BEHEADED IT. Dig into his history and find out if he's an illegal! Should be deported regardless! Police caught Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, of Stafford, in the act around 10 PM Wednesday. They say the damage runs into the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars The 9-foot limestone statue was carved by Felix de Weldon, the same sculptor behind the famous Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington. It honors the Marines who raised the flag over Iwo Jima He's charged with felony destruction of property, trespassing, and felony injury to a monument, and he's being held without bond. Throw the book at him ️ WUSA9 — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 22, 2026

Fox News congressional correspondent Bill Melugin later reported that multiple federal sources identified Maldonado Soriano as a Mexican illegal alien and former DACA recipient. Those sources said his legal status expired this year.

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According to the federal sources, Maldonado Soriano illegally crossed into the United States in December 1999. The Obama administration granted him DACA status in 2014, and that status was extended for years.

The Biden administration most recently extended his DACA status in 2024. He lost that status in August of this year after the Trump administration did not renew it.

The White House responded with a blistering statement from spokeswoman Taylor Rogers. “This criminal illegal alien’s dream is over: Maldonado Soriano disrespected our brave service members and defaced a beautiful monument that honored their sacrifice. President Trump has secured our border and is deporting illegal criminals who hate our country and our values. The socialist Democrats want to go back to open borders and flood our communities with dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”

The monument’s destruction sparked particular anger because it targeted a tribute to American service members and one of the nation’s most revered military images. The damage to the Marine figures turned the alleged act of vandalism into a direct affront to the sacrifice represented by the statue.

Maldonado Soriano’s immigration history makes the episode another example of why illegal aliens should be removed from the country. It also sharply criticized the Democrat administrations that repeatedly extended his DACA protections before the Trump administration declined to renew them.

The incident arrives as immigration enforcement and the treatment of veterans remain potent political issues. For voters who respect military service and support border enforcement, the sight of a decapitated Marine figure near Quantico is likely to provoke fierce outrage.

Whatever motive may eventually emerge, authorities say the physical damage is already substantial. A monument honoring Marines was battered with a sledgehammer, a suspect is being held without bond, and the country has once again been handed a grim reminder of the failures surrounding illegal immigration.

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