- The Washington Times - Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Federal prosecutors announced they have brought their own charges against an illegal immigrant whom authorities say wrecked the Iwo Jima Memorial at Quantico, adding to the state charges that were already pending.

The new charges accuse Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano of destruction of federal property and injuring a military monument on public property.

He already faced charges in Prince William County.

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The statue, crafted by artist Felix de Weldon, shows the American flag being raised over the island in the Pacific Ocean that was the scene of intense fighting between U.S. Marines and Japanese troops in 1945.

A federal agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said Mr. Maldonado Soriano smashed the head off one of the figures, knocked tips off rifles, and disfigured other parts of the memorial.

The agent said someone captured video of the attack.

Mr. Maldonado Soriano was granted a $2,500 bond Monday by a Prince William County judge.

Homeland Security said the man is in the country illegally and can be deported. At one point he had been granted a deportation amnesty under the Obama-era DACA program but his status has lapsed.

Damage to the memorial has been estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation has announced a drive to raise money for restoration work.

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