A Koreatown resident has been charged with launching an assault on a federal building in downtown Los Angeles using Molotov cocktails, an incident officials believe was rooted in animosity towards immigration enforcement. Jose Francisco Jovel, 54, faced arrest following the offense on Monday and has been charged with attempted malicious damage of federal property. Jovel is slated to appear in court this Wednesday at the United States District Court in Los Angeles.
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli expressed concern about the potential influence of harsh rhetoric against federal law enforcement, saying, "This case exemplifies how misleading and hateful rhetoric against federal law enforcement can and does result in violence," as noted by a report from the Justice Department. Essayli emphasized the need for this type of discourse to end, as it bears real-world consequences.
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with the Federal Protective Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles Fire Department, are investigating the case. Assistant Director Akil Davis from the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office highlighted the importance of such agencies: "There can be zero tolerance for any targeting of law enforcement officials – let alone violent acts – and we’re lucky that the devices allegedly thrown by the subject did not physically injure anyone."
The authorities have alleged that Jovel, having set his own apartment ablaze after an eviction notice earlier that day, made his way to the Federal Building in the Civic Center of downtown Los Angeles. While at the building's entryway, Jovel purportedly launched a Molotov cocktail through an employee entrance and then another through the public entrance, as described by the official complaint and supported by surveillance footage. The affidavit states that Jovel attempted to ignite at least one of the makeshift explosives. The additional Molotov cocktails and a lighter found in Jovel's possession led to his immediate arrest at the scene.
During questioning, Jovel reportedly acknowledged his animosity toward the federal government's immigration policies, exclaiming that his act was "a terrorist attack" and accusing law enforcement officers of "separating families." Jovel also called for violent action against officers, claiming, "you’re separating families" – a commonly heard refrain from critics of the current U.S. government's immigration practices, according to Justice Department records. If convicted, Jovel could face a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. Assistant United States Attorney Jenna W. Long of the National Security Division is prosecuting the case.
