GOWANUS/CARROLL GARDENS — A building owner discovered the partially exposed remains of a federal immigration agent protruding from the foundation of his property near the Smith-9th Street subway station early Tuesday morning, according to police.
The agent was identified as 43-year-old Marcus of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was found embedded in the building's base along the structure's north-facing wall near the subway stop. His upper body, from the chest up, emerged from the brick, as though he had been fused with the structure. The rest of him, investigators confirmed, is now part of the foundation as if part of his body is now made of brick.
The building's owner who requested not to be named told officers he had walked past that same wall the previous afternoon. "There was nothing," the owner said. "I've owned this building for twelve years. That foundation was poured in 1947. I have the inspection reports." He gestured at the wall, visibly shaken.
"That man was not there yesterday. That wall has been there for almost eighty years."
Investigators confirmed the foundation shows no signs of recent patchwork, pouring, or repair. The brick surrounding the agents body is continuous with the original structure, same weathering, same age. There is no indication the material was ever disturbed.
"It's like he's always been there, just frozen in time." one officer said, speaking anonymously. "But he wasn't. We confirmed his identity. He was alive Monday night."
According to ICE officials, the agent had been conducting enforcement operations in the Gowanus area and was last seen near the Carroll Street bridge Monday evening. He failed to report Tuesday morning.
The medical examiner's office has declined to speculate on cause of death, citing the "unprecedented nature of the recovery effort." Extraction is expected to take several days and will require partial demolition of the foundation.
"We can't just chip him out," one city official said. "He's fully integrated into the building. Removing him could bring half the building down. The brick didn't form around him, it's like he became part of it."
Neighbors reported nothing unusual overnight, though one resident of a nearby apartment claimed to have heard a sound around 3 a.m.
"It was like something settling," she said.
When asked if she had seen anyone in the area, she hesitated.
"There was a homeless woman. Just standing by the building, looking at the foundation like she was waiting for something. Old coat, old dress. I looked down at my phone for one second and she was gone."
Police have not identified any suspects or persons of interest.
The owner, who purchased the building in 2012, said he reviewed the original construction records after the discovery. The foundation was poured on September 14, 1947. It passed inspection. No anomalies were noted.
"I don't know how to explain this," he said. "I don't think anyone can."
He paused, looking at the wall where the agent's face remained fixed in an expression witnesses have described as "horror."
"Something put him there," the owner said quietly. "And it wanted us to find him."
The woman in the old coat has not been located. A review of city records shows no permits for foundation work on the property since its original construction.
The building remains standing. Inspectors have found no structural issues. It is, by all accounts, exactly as solid as it has always been.