Mail Bombing Suspect Arrested, Feds Say

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — A person was arrested on Friday in relation to a series of explosives sent in the mail to high-ranking Democrat officials — including Bill and Hillary Clinton in Chappaqua and George Soros in Bedford — and a media organization, a spokeswoman for the United States Department of Justice confirmed.

The Department of Justice did not identify the person arrested. The Sun-Sentinel, a local newspaper in Broward County, Florida, reported that a man in his 50s was arrested in Plantation, Florida. The suspect was driving a white van covered in stickers supporting President Donald Trump, the Sun-Sentinel reported. Law enforcement agents placed a tarp over the vehicle and were preparing to load it onto a truck, according to the report.

New York 1 reporter Myles Miller reported that the man arrested Friday is Cesar Sayoc, a 56-year-old resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Federal officials will reveal more details at a scheduled press conference Friday afternoon, a DOJ spokeswoman said.

SEE ALSO:

• Explosive Device Found in Mailbox at George Soros's NY Home
  
• Explosive Device Found Near Clinton' Home In Chappaqua

Twelve packages containing an unsophisticated explosive device resembling a pipe bomb were sent to people such as Hillary and Bill Clinton, addressed to their home in Chappaqua, billionaire political donor George Soros to his home in Bedford, President Barack Obama and actor Robert De Niro this week, officials said.

The device at Soros's home was discovered Monday, Oct. 22 in the mailbox at 168 Cantitoe St. An employee of the residence called police after opening a package, finding the suspicious device — and putting it in a wooded area, police said.

One day later, on Tuesday, according to the Secret Service, a single package addressed to the former secretary of state at her Westchester County home was recovered.

The Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle was evacuated Wednesday when a package meant for CNN was discovered in the building's mail room. Another package addressed to CNN's offices was flagged Friday morning at a Hell's Kitchen post office, officials said.

The common denominator among the targets of the bombs: They had all drawn the ire of President Donald Trump.

Trump tweeted at 3:14 a.m. Friday morning that he found it "funny" how media organizations such as CNN have linked his statements to the attempted bombings.

Florida police confirmed Thursday night that federal investigators are focusing on a potential link between the terror-by-mail plot and a Miami-area mail facility. All of the packages discovered in the plot have been listed with a return address for Florida Congresswoman and former Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. One of the packages — intended for former Attorney General Eric Holder — was returned to Schultz's office.

None of the devices exploded or cause any harm, officials said.

Written by Brendan Krisel, Patch National Staff

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Lead photo shows the device sent to CNN Wednesday by ABC News, via Associated Press