The first targeted the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington, D.C., in September 2023, and the second destroyed a satirical sculpture in San Antonio, Texas, in November 2022. Rodriguez’s actions, which blended meticulous planning with ideological undertones, have raised significant concerns about domestic security and the misuse of explosive materials.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., alongside Anthony Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, announced the sentencing. Rodriguez pleaded guilty on August 2, 2024, to charges including damaging foreign government property, malicious use of explosives on federal property, and possession of an unregistered destructive device. Chief Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court also imposed three years of supervised release following Rodriguez’s prison term.
A Trail of Explosives Across State Lines
Court documents reveal a chilling sequence of events. In September 2023, Rodriguez drove from Florida to Northern Virginia armed with a rifle and 15 pounds of explosives. En route, he purchased a black backpack, gloves, and a burner phone—tools of anonymity and precision. On September 24, he took a taxi from Arlington, Virginia, to near the Chinese Embassy, where, under cover of darkness, he positioned an explosives-laden backpack by a streetlight. Attempting to detonate it with rifle fire, Rodriguez missed, leaving the device intact. Law enforcement later recovered the backpack, shell casings, and bullet fragments, with impact marks scarring the Embassy’s perimeter wall.
A year earlier, Rodriguez executed a similar plot in San Antonio. Renting a vehicle in Pensacola, Florida, he traveled to Texas and, on November 7, 2022, scaled an eight-foot fence to access a courtyard. There, he placed explosive canisters at the base of “Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head,” a steel sculpture satirizing communist leaders. His rifle shot triggered an explosion, causing over $325,000 in damages.
DNA and a Multi-State Investigation
Rodriguez’s downfall began with forensic evidence. DNA from the Embassy backpack matched samples from a 2021 arrest in California, where he was found with firearms and similar explosives. A subsequent buccal swab confirmed the link. Arrested on November 4, 2023, in Lafayette, Louisiana, Rodriguez has remained in custody since.
The investigation spanned multiple jurisdictions, led by the ATF’s Washington Field Division with support from the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, and local police. U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, alongside ATF field divisions in Tampa, New Orleans, and Houston, played critical roles in piecing together Rodriguez’s movements.
Implications for Stakeholders
Rodriguez’s case underscores vulnerabilities in monitoring domestic threats posed by individuals with legal and military backgrounds. His ability to acquire and transport explosives undetected across state lines highlights gaps in regulatory oversight—a concern for policymakers and security professionals. For legal stakeholders, the sentencing reaffirms the judiciary’s firm stance on crimes threatening diplomatic and public safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jolie F. Zimmerman and Stuart D. Allen prosecuted the case, with support from colleagues Maeghan Mikorski, Kelly Stephenson, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McCarthy. As Rodriguez begins his sentence, the case serves as a stark reminder of the intersection between ideology, opportunity, and the potential for violence.
