Fire at New Mexico Republican Party Headquarters Being Investigated as Arson
The headquarters of the Republican Party of New Mexico in Albuquerque was damaged early Sunday morning in what the party described as a 'deliberate act of arson.'
Albuquerque Fire Rescue confirmed that it had been dispatched to the party's headquarters just before 6 a.m. for a report of a structure fire, which was brought under control within five minutes. No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported.
The fire burned the entryway of the headquarters and left smoke damage throughout the building, Lt. Jason Fejer, a spokesman for the fire department, said on Sunday.
He confirmed that the department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives were investigating the fire as an act of arson.
A spokeswoman for the F.B.I. confirmed that it was investigating but said she could not provide further details because the investigation was ongoing. The A.T.F. did not immediately respond to requests for information on Sunday.
The Albuquerque Police Department confirmed that the federal authorities were investigating but did not provide any further information, including whether arrests had been made.
In a statement, the Republican Party of New Mexico said the fire was 'not an isolated incident' and was accompanied by the spray-painted letters 'ICE=KKK.'
In recent months, ICE, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has deployed agents across the country to carry out what the Trump administration has characterized as a new and more aggressive effort to target illegal immigration and deliver on a key campaign pledge to carry out mass deportations.
The Democratic Party of New Mexico said on Sunday that it condemned 'any vandalism at the Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters as strongly as possible.' The Republican Party of New Mexico said the fire was accompanied by the spray-painted letters 'ICE=KKK.' Credit... Republican Party of New Mexico
'We firmly maintain that this sort of act has absolutely no place in our democracy, and that peaceful discourse and organization are the only ways to approach political differences in our country,' the state Democratic Party added. 'We hope whoever is responsible is found and held accountable.'
Amy Barela, the chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, said on Sunday that the alarm system at the party's headquarters had gone off around 1 a.m., about four hours before the fire started.
There had been a separate bomb threat and other acts of vandalism at the headquarters in recent years, she said.
A former Republican candidate for the New Mexico House of Representatives this month was found guilty of hiring people to shoot at the homes of Democratic officials in Alburquerque in 2022 and 2023.
'We completely condemn violence,' Ms. Barela said. 'It doesn't matter where it's coming from.'
The party was 'deeply relieved that no one was harmed in what could have been a tragic and deadly attack,' she said.
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