Iran Press/ America: Cesar Sayoc, from Aventura, Florida, was arrested on Friday and is suspected to have sent a series of what are believed to be pipe bombs to critics of Donald Trump.
The 56-year-old was arrested at an auto parts shop in Plantation, Florida and television footage showed a white van, adorned with pro-Republican, pro-Trump and anti-liberal signage, being towed away from the location.
Sayoc has an address in the Miami suburb of Aventura and an extensive arrest record. According to his social media accounts, he works as a booking agent for a live events company and is a former wrestler and cage fighter.
Cesar Sayoc, from Aventura, Florida, was arrested on Friday
Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, said at a press conference in Washington Sayoc had been charged with five offences including threats against former presidents, assaulting current and former federal officers and mailing explosives. The charges were filed to federal court in Manhattan.
FBI director Christopher Wray said Sayoc had been linked by a fingerprint to a package sent to the California congresswoman Maxine Waters. DNA possibly from Sayoc was also found in one of the packages, Wray said, stressing that they contained authentic explosives.
“These are not hoax devices,” Wray said, adding that more could yet be in the mail.
Three bombs were confirmed by authorities when charges were brought, bringing to 13 the number known to have been sent. None exploded before being found and no injuries were reported.
The packages found on Friday were sent to two senators, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California; to James Clapper, a former director of national intelligence. Another package was sent to Democrat mega-donor Tom Steyer.
Steyer said an additional suspect package addressed to him was intercepted in Burlingame, California.
US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the suspect charged in connection with a pipe bomb campaign targeting Democrats is one of his supporters, but says he bears “no blame” for the man’s actions.
“There is no blame. There’s no anything,” Mr Trump told reporters at the White House before leaving for a political rally in North Carolina.
Trump also tweeted on Friday that "this 'Bomb' stuff' has greatly slowed the "momentum" of Republican candidates in early voting in the November midterm elections.
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