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A man was arrested this Monday in southwest Miami-Dade County after threatening to set his vehicle on fire with his children inside and hiding a Molotov cocktail inside the car.
The case, which has caused concern due to its severity and the discovery of an improvised explosive device, also involves an active immigration detention order.
A threat that triggered the alarm
Ángel Cedeño, a citizen of Venezuelan origin and a resident of southwest Miami-Dade -as detailed by Local 10- was arrested this week after having recently been discharged from a psychiatric facility where he had been under evaluation for more than a year.
Everything began on July 16 during a visit by Cedeño to the legal office Trujillo located at 11401 SW 40 Street, where, according to a report from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Department (M-DCSO), the man expressed his intention to “burn his vehicle with his children inside” if they attempted to separate him from them.
Due to the concerning nature of the threats, the authorities activated the protocol of the Baker Act, a state law that allows for the involuntary retention of individuals for mental evaluation.
Cedeño was transferred the same day to Keralty Hospital in the Coral Terrace area to be evaluated by mental health professionals.
An explosive device in the vehicle
What initially seemed like a mental health case took a more serious turn the following day, July 17, when a woman who came to pick up Cedeño's parked vehicle outside the same legal office noticed a suspicious object upon opening the car door.
Agents from the M-DCSO responded immediately along with the specialized explosives unit and confirmed that the object was a Molotov cocktail.
They found a glass bottle of Kahlúa coffee liqueur, a well-known coffee liqueur, filled with a flammable liquid, a fabric wick, and metal screws inserted as homemade shrapnel.
The device was confiscated, and a security sweep was conducted on the vehicle to rule out other threats.
An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) joined the investigation and, along with four officers, interviewed Cedeño on Monday, July 21, 2025, shortly before he was discharged from the hospital.
Arrest and charges
On that same Monday, Cedeño was formally arrested and transferred to the Turner Guilford Knight (TGK) Correctional Center, where he was booked on four counts of possession of incendiary devices, classified as third-degree felonies, according to court records.
During the bail hearing held this Tuesday, Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Michelle Delancy set a bail of $10,000 and imposed a prohibition on Cedeño's contact with his children and the children's mother.
Additionally, it was reported that there is a detention order against Cedeño issued by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is why he remains in custody while his criminal and immigration proceedings are ongoing.
Possible homemade manufacturing and danger
According to police reports, the seized device had all the characteristics of a homemade incendiary bomb, commonly known as a Molotov cocktail.
The use of screws and liquid fuel significantly increased its lethality. Authorities have not disclosed whether Cedeño had technical knowledge or if he manufactured the device with the real intention of using it, but the facts have been deemed highly dangerous.
Although Cedeño was hospitalized under psychiatric evaluation for more than a year, his medical release did not prevent him from being immediately arrested by law enforcement.
The authorities must now determine if the accused is competent to stand trial or if he will remain under mental health supervision during the proceedings.
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