Suspect in custody after explosive device at NYC federal site

A suspect is in custody after deploying an explosive device outside a federal building in Lower Manhattan on Monday morning, July 20, 2026, prompting a major law enforcement response and a terrorism investigation. Federal authorities reported minor injuries in the incident, which caused a small fire and sent smoke into the air on the sidewalk outside 26 Federal Plaza around 8:30 a.m.

The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation into the attack, which targeted a building housing a federal immigration court and field offices for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI. Video from the scene captured the moment the device erupted, sending a plume of white smoke into the air as people fled and federal agents rushed from the building with weapons drawn. Officers quickly subdued and apprehended a suspect at the scene. According to the Federal Protective Service, the individual was taken into custody.

Federal officials confirmed the device was incendiary in nature. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that an individual deployed the device and has been taken into custody. Initial reports indicated two minor injuries, though the New York Fire Department...