Suspect Arrested In Case Of Bombs Sent To Prominent Democrats — Here's What We Know
On Friday, a suspect was arrested in Florida in connection with a series of attempted bombings, which targeted a number of prominent Democrats and Trump critics. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, George Soros, CNN, Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Maxine Waters, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, James Clapper, John Brennan and Robert De Niro were targeted.
Here's what we know so far:
Cesar Sayoc, 56, Was Charged On Five Federal Counts Friday
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced at a press conference on Friday that Cesar Sayoc has been charged with interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents and other persons, threatening interstate communications and assaulting current and former federal officers. Sayoc, who is 56, faces 48 years in prison if convicted. Authorities found Sayoc by matching a fingerprint on the package mailed to Representative Maxine Waters to him.
FBI director Christopher Wray emphasized at the press conference that the 13 explosives that Sayoc purportedly mailed to high-profile Trump critics were real bombs:
"Though we're still analyzing the devices in our laboratory, these are not hoax devices," he said.
The devices consisted of "roughly six inches of PVC pipe, a small clock, a battery, some wiring and what is known as energetic material, which is essentially potential explosives and material that give off heat and energy through a reaction to heat, shock or friction," Wray said.
[CNN]
Sayoc Had A History Of Spreading Pro-Trump Memes And Threatening Trump Critics On Social Media
Sayoc's van is reportedly plastered with stickers promoting Trump:
A Twitter user posted pictures of what appears to be the suspect's van, taken previously. They show pro-Trump, anti-CNN slogans:
In images taken of police investigating the van, you can see the US Soccer badge on the rear left window.
Sayoc's Facebook page features photographs and videos that appear to have been taken at a 2016 Trump rally in West Palm Beach. His Twitter account tweeted threats at critics of President Trump, including Soros, one of the targets of the bombing operation:
At one point, Sayoc purportedly wrote "you will vanish" in a tweet aimed at the billionaire. Soros received a suspicious package at his Westchester County home on Monday — the first of at least 12 mailed to liberal public figures this week.
Other tweets falsely claimed the February 2018 mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, was a false-flag operation orchestrated by Soros and his liberal allies.
Bombs Addressed To Senator Cory Booker, James Clapper And Tom Steyer Were Intercepted Friday
The package intended for Clapper, Obama's director of national intelligence, was addressed to "James Robert lapper Time Warner (CNN)," much like the bomb intended for John Brennan found on Wednesday.
[A]uthorities recovered suspicious packages sent to Democratic Sen. Cory Booker and James Clapper, the director of national intelligence under President Obama. The packages appeared to be similar to 10 others sent this week.
The package sent to Booker was found in Florida, the FBI said on Twitter on Friday morning. Sources told CBS News that the package sent to Clapper was found at a postal facility in New York City.
[CBS News]
Tom Steyer, a prominent Democratic donor, also released a statement about the interception of a suspicious package addressed to him.
Former Vice President Joe Biden Appears To Have Been Targeted
On Thursday morning, the Associated Press reported that a suspicious package addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden was found at a postal facility in Delaware.
A law enforcement official says a package addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden appears similar to packages containing bombs sent to prominent Democrats and has been intercepted at a Delaware mail facility…
The FBI confirms there is law enforcement activity at the US mail facility in New Castle, Delaware. It says federal agents and New Castle County Police are responding to the facility.
The Police Are Also Investigating A Suspicious Package Addressed To Robert De Niro
The package was reportedly sent to a street building in Tribeca owned by Robert De Niro that houses offices for Tribeca Films and Tribeca Grill.
At Least One Of The Bombs Was Printed With A Fake ISIS Flag From A Right-Wing Meme
On Wednesday night, NBC News reported that the explosive device sent to CNN featured a caricature of the ISIS flag from a right-wing meme:
The print-out appears to show a parody flag that replaces Arabic characters with the silhouette of three women in high heels, and a middle inscription reading "Get 'Er Done" — which is the catchphrase of standup comedian Larry the Cable Guy…
The "Get 'Er Done" flag was originally created in 2014 by the right-wing parody site World News Bureau, for an article titled "ISIS Vows Retribution For Counterfeit Flags." It has since been shared as a meme on right-wing websites and forums.
[NBC News]
The Explosives Were All Sent In Similar Packages
The return address on the packages reportedly belongs to a "prominent Democratic official":
CNN reports that the packages delivered to Soros, Clinton and Obama featured the return address of former DNC chair and US representative from Florida Debbie Wasserman Schultz, although there is no evidence it came from Wasserman Schultz.
George Soros Was Targeted On Monday
Earlier this week, a pipe bomb was discovered in the mailbox of George Soros, a prominent Democratic donor and fixture in far-right conspiracy theories (including, most recently, that he's funding the migrant caravan):
A pipe bomb loaded with explosive black powder was hand-delivered to the suburban New York City home of billionaire financier George Soros by a would-be attacker, prompting the FBI to launch an investigation into who would want to harm the philanthropist and political activist, a law enforcement source told ABC News on Tuesday. The FBI photographed the device and then detonated it near Soros' home in Katonah, New York, and were analyzing fragments to determine why the bomb did not go off, the source said. The device was not delivered via U.S. Postal Service, a source familiar with the investigation confirmed to ABC News. Law enforcement is now investigating if the device actually came through a private package-delivery service and whether it was hand delivered or came through some delivery system, the source said.
[ABC News]
Hillary Clinton And Barack Obama Were Targeted On Tuesday And Wednesday
The Secret Service released a statement on Wednesday morning that it intercepted two "suspicious" packages mailed to the Westchester home of the Clintons and the Washington, DC home of the Obamas:
The "suspicious packages" were reportedly explosives, similar to those that were delivered to Soros' home:
The devices were similar to one found on Monday at the home of the billionaire philanthropist George Soros, and federal authorities were investigating whether they were linked, two law enforcement officials said.
CNN Was Also Targeted On Wednesday
The CNN offices in New York City were also evacuated due to a suspicious package. According to CNN, the package sent to the CNN office was specifically addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, who frequently appears on CNN.
The package was delivered by courier, not postal service. CNN staffers waited outside their office building for five hours before a security sweep was completed and they were allowed back inside.
Former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz Had A Suspicious Package 'Returned' To Her On Wednesday
CNN is reporting that the package that prompted the evacuation at Wasserman Schultz's office was originally addressed to former Attorney General Eric Holder but had the wrong address and so was "returned" to Wasserman Schultz.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Also Received A Suspicious Package — That Turned Out Not To Be A Bomb
In a confusing series of events, a spokesperson for New York governor Andrew Cuomo denied on Wednesday morning that his office received an explosive device — but Cuomo said that his office did receive a device at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Then the New York Police Department clarified that the suspicious package that Cuomo's office received was not, in fact, a bomb.
Another Package Was Intercepted On Its Way To Representative Maxine Waters
Waters released a statement this afternoon saying, "I am appreciative of the law enforcement entities who intercepted the package and are investigating this matter. I unequivocally condemn any and all acts of violence and terror."
Contrary To Initial Reports, The White House Was Not Targeted
Initial reports from CNN that the White House was also a target have been reversed, with Reuters reporting that the news was incorrect and CNN's Jake Tapper confirming:
We'll update this post as more information is available.
