An illegal, here originally under the auspices of Obama’s asinine DACA program, decided to take a sledgehammer to the Iwo Jima monument at Quantico. One of the soldier’s heads was hammered off before anyone stopped him.

🚨 BREAKING: Outrage erupts after man named "Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano" took a SLEDGEHAMMER to the historic Iwo Jima statue at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia and knocked the head off one of the Marines

HE LITERALLY BEHEADED IT.

Dig into his history and find out if… pic.twitter.com/SjpQq6r4ki

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 22, 2026

What I want to know is if anyone, including those we see in the above video, realized what was going on. He knew enough to hide behind the statue and essentially be out of camera range.

Officers with the Prince William County Police Department first responded to the incident at about 10:13 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Maldonado Soriano was allegedly striking the monument with a sledgehammer 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.

The damage included the complete removal of one Marine’s head, along with damage to other figures depicted raising the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, according to authorities.

Images of the damaged monument show the figure farthest to the right missing its head, while another Marine has visible gouges across his helmet and face, police told Fox News Digital.

A third figure sustained damage to a bayonet attached to a gun slung over his back. Police estimated the damage would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair.

Iwo Jima was one of the most intense battles during World War II. The bravery and courage of our troops has led to many a book, movies, and more. The flag raising on Iwo Jima wasn’t just for show, it was to rally the troops. It was to let them know that, against horrific odds, OUR FLAG stands.

Of course imagery is everything:
Semper Fi!: 81st anniversary of the flag raising on Mt Suribachi, Iwo Jima. One of America's and US Marine Corps proudest moments. Also very bad ass moment. pic.twitter.com/WYLy22DqBY

— ZitoSalena (@ZitoSalena) February 23, 2026

That flag raising was a defining moment in a month-long battle on a rocky barren outcrop of an island.

The tiny island of Iwo Jima lies 660 miles south of Tokyo. Mount Suribachi, an extinct volcano that forms the narrow southern tip of the island, rises 550 feet to dominate the ocean around it. US troops had recaptured most of the other islands in the Pacific Ocean that the Japanese had taken in 1941 and 1942. In 1945 Iwo Jima became a primary objective in American plans to bring the Pacific campaign to a successful conclusion.

On the morning of February 19, 1945, the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions invaded Iwo Jima after an ineffective 72-hour bombardment. The 28th Regiment of the 5th Division, was ordered to capture Mount Suribachi. They reached the base of the mountain on the afternoon of February 21 and, by nightfall the next day, had almost completely surrounded it. On the morning of February 23, Marines of Company E, 2nd Battalion, started the tortuous climb up the rough terrain to the top. At about 10:30 am men all over the island were thrilled by the sight of a small American flag flying from atop Mount Suribachi. That afternoon, when the slopes were clear of enemy resistance, a second, larger flag was raised in the same location.

That statue not only defines the battle, it’s of the men behind that flag. The men who are eloquently described in Flags of Our Fathers, and shown in the movie directed by Clint Eastwood.

Well, lo and behold, no matter that the Washington Post defines the criminal as a “Virginia man,” he’s here illegally. Has been since the Obama Administration and was supposed to LEAVE the U.S this year.

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.

Needless to say, the White House is NOT amused.

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…

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 23, 2026

Memo to the Washington Post and the rest of the media. Soriano is NOT a Virginia man. He is a criminal who is here illegally. It’s blatantly insulting to all Marines and anyone who served or is serving to gaslight about who this criminal really is. Someone here illegally who for whatever reason, decided to take a sledgehammer to the Iwo Jima memorial at Quantico.

During that month’s long battle, nearly 7,000 American soldiers died in battle. Including three of the men depicted on that statue.

And yet, the media decides to depict this illegal as a benign “Stafford” or “Virginia” man. Horseshit.

Hand him over to the Marines

— no body (@GMaBAMBAM) October 22, 2026

I’m with Beege. Let him ROT in prison for ten years or more for destroying one of the most famous Marine Corps Memorials out there, and then permanently deport his ass.

Feature Photo Credit: By Famartin – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia, cropped and modified