Federal immigration authorities have taken the wife and five children of Boulder firebombing suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman into custody, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Tuesday. The action comes as Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national, faces a slate of state and federal charges, including attempted murder and hate crimes, for allegedly attacking pro-Israel demonstrators with a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails.
"Today, @DHSgov and @ICEGov are taking the family of suspected Boulder, Colorado terrorist, and illegal alien, Mohamed Soliman, into ICE custody," Noem wrote on X. "We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it."
Soliman is currently being held on a $10 million bond after allegedly targeting a group of demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages on Sunday, June 1. Witnesses and authorities say Soliman threw makeshift incendiary devices while shouting "Free Palestine!" Twelve people were injured in the attack, including eight who required hospitalization for burns.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Colorado J. Bishop Grewell said Soliman told investigators after his arrest that he "wanted them all to die" and "had no regrets." Grewell added, "he would go back and do it again."
Court filings revealed Soliman had been planning the assault for over a year but waited until after his daughter graduated before executing the attack. He has been charged with 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder, among other charges. According to Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty, if convicted and sentenced consecutively, Soliman could face up to 624 years in prison.
The charges include:
- 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder (eight with intent, eight with extreme indifference)
- 2 counts of use of an incendiary device
- 16 counts of attempted use of an incendiary device
Federal prosecutors have additionally charged Soliman with a hate crime for targeting victims based on their religion or ethnicity.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials confirmed that Soliman, who entered the U.S. at Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 27, 2022, overstayed a non-immigrant visa that expired Feb. 2, 2023. He had applied for a change of status in September 2022 and was granted temporary work authorization through March 2025.
The family, also reportedly in the U.S. unlawfully, is now being processed for expedited removal, according to senior DHS and ICE sources.
Soliman's next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, June 5, at 3:30 p.m. Mountain Time, where formal charges will be filed.
