A Mexican national entered the United States illegally as a child and later destroyed a World War II monument on a military base. Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano used a sledgehammer to behead a statue honoring US service members at Marine Corps Base Quantico. Local police caught him mid-swing on Wednesday night near 10:15 p.m. The damage caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs and left one Marine figure headless.
Soriano crossed the southern border in December 1999 while still a child. He received protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2014. The Daily Wire reported that federal sources confirm he entered the country illegally as a minor. His status was renewed for a decade, most recently under former President Joe Biden in 2024. This protection ended in August when the Trump administration refused to renew it.
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
RedState noted that he has been in the country illegally since 1999. The New York Post stated his DACA status was extended under Biden before being stripped later. Authorities in Prince William County charged him with felony destruction of property and trespassing. They say he actively damaged the limestone memorial with a heavy tool.
Police reports show Soriano was pounding the memorial when officers found him. The New York Post reported that the blow decapitated one of the six servicemen raising the flag. A second Marine lost the bayonet from his rifle, and a third suffered damage to his helmet and face. According to local police, repair expenses will reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The incident happened at a replica of the famous Iwo Jima memorial near Quantico, Virginia. According to the Daily Wire, the alleged rampage left one Marine headless. Soriano now faces felony counts for injury to a monument and trespassing. He is a 27-year-old resident of Stafford who had lived in the US for over two decades.
White House statement to @FoxNews:
“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.” – Taylor Rogers, WH Spokeswoman
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 23, 2026
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers released a statement addressing the destruction. She remarked that Maldonado Soriano’s aspirations have ended, noting he insulted our brave service members and vandalized a monument honoring their sacrifice, calling him a criminal illegal alien. She added that President Trump has secured the border and is deporting criminals who hate the country.
Rogers also criticized Democrats for wanting to return to open borders. She declared that socialist Democrats aim to return to open borders and inundate our communities with dangerous criminal illegal aliens. The New York Post quoted her full comments on the matter. Local authorities have taken him into custody to face the felony charges.
