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Vandal who beheaded Iwo Jima monument revealed as illegal alien let in US by Obama, Biden

Story by Josh Christenson
• 8h • 2 min read

WASHINGTON — The vandal who beheaded the Iwo Jima monument on a US military base has been revealed as an illegal alien who was let into the US during the Obama administration and had his legal status extended under former President Joe Biden, The Post has learned.
Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano — who took a sledgehammer to the World War II monument at the Marine Corps Base Quantico — is a migrant from Mexico who entered the US illegally as a child in 1999, according to an administration official.
A second source familiar with his legal status indicated that the 27-year-old had been allowed to remain in the country under then-President Obama as part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2014.



Miguel Alonso Maldonado Soriano allegedly vandalized the stone depiction of Marine Cpl. Harlon Block at the Quantico, Va. Iwo Jima statue. Prince William County Police Department

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Soriano had that DACA status extended then under Biden in 2024, the source noted, adding that it was later stripped during President Trump’s second term.
“This criminal illegal alien’s dream is over: Maldonado Soriano disrespected our brave service members and defaced a beautiful monument that honored their sacrifice,” said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers in a statement.
“President Trump has secured our border and is deporting illegal criminals who hate our country and our values. The socialist Democrats want to go back to open borders and flood our communities with dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”



Snow falls at the Iwo Jima memorial statue by the front gate at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Jan. 28, 2022, as the third snowfall of the year takes place, with 1-3 inches of snow expected. Marine Corps Base Quantico

Local authorities charged Soriano with felony destruction of property and trespassing with intent to damage property after the beheading of the Iwo Jima statue in Quantico, Va., on Tuesday.
The bludgeoning of the monument ended up decapitating one of the six servicemen represented raising the US flag — and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, cops said.
The statue at the base, which is located around 36 miles south of Washington DC, was sculpted from limestone by Felix de Weldon in 1954 and honors all Marines who have died in defense of the country since 1775.

A stone depiction of

Marine Cpl. Harlon Block is pictured. Prince William County Police Department

Soriano is currently being held without bond, a rep for the Prince William County Adult Detention Center told The Post Friday.
He’s been detained since Oct. 22.

Related video: Latest news | Man accused of 'beheading' soldier in Quantico Iwo Jima statue (KFSM Fort Smith)


Vandal who beheaded Iwo Jima monument revealed as illegal alien let in US by Obama, Biden