Federal agents have taken Inique Hinton, a 31-year-old from Douglasville, Georgia, into custody for allegedly trying to set fire to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Atlanta.
The troubling event happened on the evening of October 20 at the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Field Office located at 180 Ted Turner Drive.
A criminal complaint revealed that security footage captured a man fitting Hinton’s description walking along Ted Turner Drive at about 8:12 p.m., clad in a black shirt and khaki pants while clutching a white plastic bag.
At approximately 8:14 p.m., he was seen lighting an object and throwing it towards the building’s exterior, causing a fire on the security fence before fleeing southward.
A nearby Atlanta Police officer witnessed the act and chased him, but Hinton managed to escape.
Investigators found remnants of a charred cloth, along with a bag containing bottles of suspected lighter fluid, near the site. The FBI’s Evidence Response Team arrived soon after to secure these items.
Fortunately, there were no injuries, and the device did not breach the main structure.
Feds Charge Suspect After Firebombing at Atlanta DHS Facility
Federal authorities have apprehended a man suspected of attacking a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facility in Georgia this week.
Inique Hinton, 31, was apprehended on Friday at a residence in Cobb County… pic.twitter.com/i532MzahrV
— Border Hawk (@BorderHawkNews) October 24, 2026
On the following day, authorities examined footage from a nearby convenience store, revealing a person resembling Hinton making a purchase shortly before the incident, identified through a Visa card linked to his Bank of America account.
Additional investigations confirmed his identity via AT&T subscriber records and a Georgia driver’s license. License plate reader data tracked Hinton’s white 2020 Kia Optima near the ICE office both before and after the crime.
FBI agents arrested Hinton without any resistance at a Cobb County home on October 23. He now faces serious federal charges, including destruction of federal property by fire or explosives under 18 U.S.C. § 844(f)(1) and damage to government property under 18 U.S.C. § 1361. The arson charge carries a minimum five-year sentence and a potential maximum of 20 years if found guilty.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg remarked that Hinton has no known criminal history. His preliminary court appearance is slated for the following Monday.
“Attacking a federal building with an incendiary device is a heinous act that demands swift and serious consequences,” Hertzberg declared after the arrest, labeling the event as “an offense against our democracy” and “an act of terrorism,” though it remains uncertain whether further terrorism-related charges will be pursued.
