U.S. immigration authorities have detained the wife and children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the man accused of firebombing a pro-Israel protest in Colorado, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday.
Soliman, an Egyptian national, is facing federal hate crime and attempted murder charges after attacking a rally in Boulder on Sunday with Molotov cocktails and an improvised flamethrower, injuring 12 people.
“We are investigating to what extent his family may have known about or supported this heinous attack,” Noem said. The Department of Homeland Security has not clarified why it is handling a probe typically overseen by the FBI and local law enforcement.
Soliman entered the U.S. on a tourist visa, which he overstayed, though officials said he later applied for asylum and was granted a work permit.
The Biden administration has not commented on the case, but the Trump campaign seized on the attack. The White House’s official X account posted: “Six One-Way Tickets for Mohamed’s Wife and Five Kids. Final Boarding Call Coming Soon.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to tighten immigration oversight. “We will not allow temporary visa holders to wage war on our citizens,” he said. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce called the attack a stark reminder of the national security risks posed by lax immigration.
Soliman is accused of hurling incendiary devices at a group of mostly elderly demonstrators advocating for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the Oct. 7 attacks. In footage circulating online, a shirtless man screams “End Zionists!” as flames rage nearby and people attempt to assist the wounded.
Soliman is due in court Thursday.