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The man arrested for allegedly using a hammer to decapitate a Marine figure at an Iwo Jima monument near Quantico, Virginia, is a Mexican illegal alien and former Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient who lost his status this year, federal sources told Fox News.
Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, was charged with felony destruction of property, trespassing with intent to damage property and damage to a monument.
“This criminal illegal alien’s dream is over: Maldonado Soriano disrespected our brave service members and defaced a magnificent monument that honored their sacrifice,” White House Press Secretary Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Fox News. “President Trump has secured our border and is deporting illegal criminals who hate our country and our values. Democratic socialists want to return to open borders and flood our communities with dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”
According to federal sources, Maldonado Soriano entered the United States illegally in December 1999. He was granted DACA by the Obama administration in 2014. It was recently extended by the Biden administration to 2024. Maldonado Soriano then lost his DACA status in August 2026 because it was not renewed by the Trump administration.
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Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano is accused of using a hammer to decapitate a Marine figure on an Iwo Jima monument near Quantico. (Photo provided via federal source)
Prince William County Police Department officers first responded to the incident at approximately 10:13 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21. Maldonado Soriano allegedly hit the monument with a hammer when officers arrived.
Authorities said Maldonado Soriano was arrested after officers discovered extensive damage to the limestone sculpture, which commemorates one of the most recognizable moments in American military history.
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The damage included the complete removal of a Marine’s head, as well as damage to other figures depicted waving the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II, according to authorities.
The limestone statue near the Quantico Marine Corps Base depicts the famous raising of the flag on Iwo Jima during World War II. (Prince William County Police)
Images of the damaged monument show the rightmost figure headless, while another Marine has visible gashes on his helmet and face, police told Fox News Digital.
A third figure suffered damage from the bayonet attached to a pistol slung behind his back. Police estimated the damage would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair.
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The damaged statue is a 9-foot limestone depiction of the iconic World War II flag raising on Mount Suribachi during the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima.
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A Marine figure in the iconic Iwo Jima statue was decapitated in the alleged hammer attack. (Prince William County Police)
It was sculpted by Felix de Weldon, who later created the enormous bronze Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.
The smaller monument is near the entrance to Marine Corps Base Quantico, near the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Quantico, a major Marine Corps installation in northern Virginia, has served as a military training and education center for generations.
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In 2001, portions of the installation were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Quantico Marine Corps Base Historic District, including 122 buildings, two landscapes, a sculpture, and a water tower.
Maldonado Soriano is being held without bail and no court date has yet been announced.
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