Crime & Safety
NJ Sen. Cory Booker Targeted In Terror-By-Mail Bombs: FBI
Devices were also mailed to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder, John Brennan, Maxine Waters, Joe Biden and Robert DeNiro.
Authorities intercepted a suspicious package Thursday addressed to Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, one of several sent to prominent Democrats and liberal celebrities in recent days, according to the FBI.
The suspect in the terror-by-mail plot that targeted Democrats and ex-officials of the Obama administration has been identified as 56-year-old Cesar Sayoc of Aventura, Florida, according to the Associated Press. Court documents reveal that Sayoc had a troubled past, even threatening to blow up a Florida Power & Light office in Miami back in 2002.
Court documents obtained by Patch show that Sayoc allegedly threatened the power company's then office at 4200 North Flagler Street by telephone, saying "it would be worse than Sept. 11" and that something would happen to the FPL representative if they cut his electricity."
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Read more: Cesar Sayoc: Court Docs Reveal Past Of Accused In Mail Bombs
At least 11 packages containing possible "destructive devices" were addressed to prominent Democrats this week, including two sent Thursday to former Vice President Joe Biden and actor Robert De Niro, according to the FBI. President Donald Trump said a "major federal investigation" is underway after the suspicious devices, a majority of which were intercepted or discovered Wednesday, were sent to their intended targets.
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Trump made the comments at an event where he was scheduled to speak about the opioid crisis. The president said he had been briefed on the situation by federal law enforcement officials and the full weight of the government was behind the investigation.
"In these times, we have to unify, we have to come together," Trump said. "And send one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America."
The packages were being inspected by "top explosive experts," Trump said. In a statement, the FBI said the packages are being sent for analysis to the agency's lab in Quantico, Virginia.
The agency said five packages are similar in appearance and contained a return address for Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz's office in Florida. Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Florida, was the former chair of the Democratic National Committee.
The FBI confirmed that the packages identified as of Wednesday were also addressed to George Soros, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, former CIA Director John Brennan and former Attorney General Eric Holder. Late Wednesday, the FBI said it has confirmed two additional packages addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters that are similar in appearance to the other devices. On Thursday, the FBI said the package addressed to DeNiro in New York and two addressed to Biden in Delaware were similar to the ones seen the past two days.
The United States Secret Service intercepted the devices addressed to Obama and Clinton. In a statement, the agency said the package addressed to Clinton at her Westchester County home in New York was intercepted late Tuesday. A package addressed to Obama's Washington D.C. residence was intercepted early Wednesday, the agency said. Bill Clinton was at the New York home when the package was discovered while Hillary Clinton was campaigning for Democrats in Florida, according to The Associated Press.
The Associated Press and Patch's Brendan Krisel contributed to this report.
Lead photo via FBI
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