Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Federal law enforcement agencies are working with state and local authorities to investigate a suspicious fire at Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in Havana, Florida. In a joint statement released by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), officials confirmed their active involvement.
The statement read: “We are actively coordinating with local and state partners regarding a suspicious fire at the Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in Havana, Florida, and stand ready to offer additional federal resources needed for this state-led investigation. This alleged arson is just the latest in an alarming trend of attacks and threats directed toward our churches, synagogues, and houses of worship nationwide.”
The agencies emphasized that such incidents reflect a broader national concern about threats to religious institutions. The statement continued: “As made clear by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, we have zero-tolerance for attacks and threats directed at our churches, synagogues, and houses of worship, and the Department of Justice will ensure those vital institutions, and the congregants who gather to freely practice their religion, are kept safe and secure.”
