Florida man charged in connection with 14 mail bombs sent to Trump critics

By Zachary Fagenson and Bernie Woodall

 

 

Cesar Altieri Sayoc is pictured in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. in this August 2015 handout booking photo obtained by Reuters October 26, 2018. Broward County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS

 

PLANTATION, Fla. (Reuters) - A man suspected of sending at least 14 mail bombs to prominent critics of U.S. President Donald Trump in the run-up to next month's national elections was arrested on Friday in Florida and charged with five federal felonies.

 

Cesar Sayoc, 56, was taken into custody outside an auto parts store in Plantation, Florida, near Miami. Authorities seized a white van belonging to him, the windows of which were plastered with pro-Trump stickers, the slogan "CNN SUCKS" and images of Democratic politicians with red cross-hairs over their faces.

 

Fingerprint and DNA evidence was used to identify Sayoc, but Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray cautioned that his arrest did not necessarily end the threat.

 

"There may be other packages in transit now and other packages on the way," Wray said.

 

One federal law enforcement source told Reuters that authorities were still investigating whether other individuals were involved and did not rule out the possibility of more arrests.

 

Sayoc's arrest followed an intense four-day-old manhunt for whoever was responsible for at least 14 pipe bombs mailed to high-profile Democrats and others known as outspoken critics of Trump, including former U.S. President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who Trump defeated in the 2016 presidential race.

 

The first of the bombs surfaced on Monday at the Westchester County, New York, home of billionaire Democratic donor George Soros. Four packages turned up on Friday, the 14th being addressed to a major contributor to the Democratic Party, Tom Steyer in San Francisco.

 

Each consisted of explosive material packed in a plastic pipe and wired to a small clock and a battery, Wray said.

All the bombs were intercepted before reaching their intended targets and without exploding, and no one has been hurt.

 

The bombs have heightened tensions during what was already a highly contentious campaign season ahead of the Nov. 6 elections in which Democrats are battling to seize control of Congress now held by Trump's Republican Party.

 

'POLITICAL VIOLENCE'

 

A criminal complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan charged Sayoc with five felony counts, including interstate transportation and illegal mailing of explosives, threatening a former president, making threatening interstate communications and assaulting federal officers.

 

If convicted on all charges, Sayoc would face up to 48 years in prison, officials said.

 

"We will not tolerate such lawlessness, especially political violence," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said at a press conference announcing the charges.

 

Wray told the news conference that fingerprints on one of two packages sent to U.S. Representative Maxine Waters, a Los Angeles Democrat, belonged to Sayoc.

 

Announcing the arrest to a cheering audience at the White House, Trump said such "terrorizing acts" were despicable and had no place in the United States.

 

"We must never allow political violence to take root in America - cannot let it happen," Trump said. "And I'm committed to doing everything in my power as president to stop it and to stop it now."

 

Sayoc's home address was listed in public records as an upscale gated apartment complex in the seaside town of Aventura, Florida.

 

According to the records, he is a registered Republican with a lengthy criminal past, including once making a bomb threat, and a history of posting inflammatory broadsides on social media against Trump's political foes.

 

Sayoc was initially held at an FBI processing centre in Miramar, Florida. He was expected to be taken to the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami and will likely make his first appearance before a judge on Monday, according to former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weinstein.

 

In addition to Steyer, the intended recipients of packages discovered on Friday included Democratic U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, former U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and Democratic U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California.

 

'STOP THE RANCOUR'

 

Hours after a federal law enforcement official said the investigation's focus on Florida had intensified, police closed roads around the parking lot of an AutoZone store in Plantation where Sayoc was arrested and helicopters flew overhead.

 

Investigators covered Sayoc's van with a blue tarp before removing it on a truck.

 

All the people targeted by the suspicious packages have been maligned by right-wing critics. In addition to Obama, Clinton, Soros and Waters, packages that surfaced earlier in the week were addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden, former Attorney General Eric Holder, actor Robert De Niro and former CIA director John Brennan. His package was delivered to the Manhattan bureau of CNN, where he had served as an on-air analyst.

 

The episode has sparked an outcry from Trump's critics charging that his frequent and casual use of inflammatory rhetoric against perceived enemies among Democrats and the press has stoked a climate ripe for politically motivated violence.

 

Trump's supporters have accused Democrats in turn of unfairly suggesting that the president was to blame for the bomb scares.

 

"If we don't stop this political mania, this fervour, rancour, hatred, you'll see this again and again and again," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told MSNBC. "We have to get to the genesis, and the genesis is an overheated, vitriolic political division in this country and it starts with the leaders, and it starts with the president."

 

After first calling for unity at the White House event, Trump lamented partisan attacks against him and again pointed at the media.

 

"I get attacked all the time ... I can do the greatest thing for our country, and on the networks and on different things it will show bad," he told the crowd, acknowledging an attendee who shouted "fake news."

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-27

10 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

According to the records, he is a registered Republican with a lengthy criminal past,

 

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

Trump supporters at a rally already claimed that this was a conspiracy led by Soros, all to divert from the real problem, the caravan!

 

Hopeless.

 

 

 

Sent from my ASUS_X008D using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

Troll post removed.  

 

Looks like that hair was applied with a Sharpie pen.

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Authorities seized a white van belonging to him, the windows of which were plastered with pro-Trump stickers, the slogan "CNN SUCKS" and images of Democratic politicians with red cross-hairs over their faces.

 

I think it warrants another look at the MAGAbomber's van. One can draw a direct line between the text/images and the typical Trump rally rhetoric. Trump spews vitriol and hate at his rallies in which people like the MAGAbomber lap it up and then take terroristic action.

 

 

Why didn't the post office stamps the parcels?

Troll post and replies removed.  

Another troll post removed.  Continue to post mis-information and you will receive a suspension.  

 

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"I get attacked all the time ... I can do the greatest thing for our country, and on the networks and on different things it will show bad,"

give me one example of the greatest thing you do, just one...

Trump will probably trot out the same line he used when two of his radical followers beat a homeless man with a pipe: "My followers are very passionate."

When I first saw the name I thought he might be of Cuban heritage, but turns out he is Seminole. Bit of a radical who has made previous bomb threats. More will emerge soon about his political leanings.

2 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

When I first saw the name I thought he might be of Cuban heritage, but turns out he is Seminole. Bit of a radical who has made previous bomb threats. More will emerge soon about his political leanings.

Seminole Nation said he has no genetic connection to the tribe.

Just now, zaphod reborn said:

Seminole Nation said he has no genetic connection to the tribe.

Thanks for that. Really interesting with all his tweets etc about the Seminoles. Geez! Hard to believe anything one reads nowadays. 

8 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

Yeah, I would say there is a lot about this presidency and its followers that is cult like.

the same can be said of the opposition

1 minute ago, irwinfc said:

the same can be said of the opposition

I think I said that in my very next sentence.

This guy really drank the kool aid. He has done exactly what Trump has encouraged. This action is Trump's responsibility. Of course, he will blame anyone other than himself. If I closed my eyes and envisioned a typical Trump supporter, this guy would be it. Blindly following the Pied Piper

41 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

Thanks for that. Really interesting with all his tweets etc about the Seminoles. Geez! Hard to believe anything one reads nowadays. 

 

Yeah, you're right about what to believe these days, especially with the plethora of "news sites" on the Internet.  

 

The latest is that his father was an immigrant from the Philippines who became a naturalized citizen.  As for his mother, I think I read that she was from Brooklyn and that's it.  However, I am not completely sure.    

 

I cannot recall the first news site from which I had read about where his father is from, but I've discovered the following:

 

"Sayoc makes repeated references to the Seminole Indian tribe on his Twitter feed but on his LinkedIn profile he mentions Filipino ancestry, saying his grandfather was a prominent surgeon in the Philippines."

Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/10/27/1863660/cesar-sayoc-us-mail-bombing-suspect-claims-filipino-ancestry#mHwD6YTmSypQcusD.99

 

I am sure more details will emerge later on.  

 

Really, it should not matter.  Some humans lead decent lives and others sadly go astray.  

Thought he was doing his bit for Trump,by making America ,great again !

regards Worgeordie

1 hour ago, DoctorG said:

When I first saw the name I thought he might be of Cuban heritage, but turns out he is Seminole. Bit of a radical who has made previous bomb threats. More will emerge soon about his political leanings.

I believe his mother was of Italian descent and his father, who was largely absent from his life, was Filipino.   I'll see if I can find a link about it.  

They will say, he was mentally ill and a lone wolf!

Which is obvious, because he is a Trump supporter!

 

Post with false information removed.   Continue and face a suspension.

 

Just now, DM07 said:

They will say, he was mentally ill and a lone wolf!

Which is obvious, because he is a Trump supporter!

 

" It is clear that Sayoc fits the definition of a domestic terrorist, but yet the DOJ has refused to charge with any crime that uses the term terrorism. The Trump administration is already trying to put a political spin on these crimes by avoiding labeling one of the president’s own supporters as a domestic terrorist."

https://www.politicususa.com/2018/10/26/trump-supporter-who-tried-kill-democrats-not-charged-terrorism.html

So.... one of the presidents aids enters the oval orifice and says

 

“mr President, we cant get the dogs on the other side of the fence to stop barking, should I call the home owners association or the pound? Maybe they can muzzle the dogs, or something.”

 

“no no no” says the prez.... “call Cesar... he’ll know what to do”

I'm waiting for those who said it was some sort of left wing conspiracy to win election (Limbaugh, Fox, etc) to man up and say "We were shamefully wrong and apologize". I've got my ice skates ready in Hell's locker room in anticipation... BTW they are STILL saying this is leftist thing: "Those stickers etc look too new on his van...."

2 minutes ago, Emdog said:

I'm waiting for those who said it was some sort of left wing conspiracy to win election (Limbaugh, Fox, etc) to man up and say "We were shamefully wrong and apologize". I've got my ice skates ready in Hell's locker room in anticipation... BTW they are STILL saying this is leftist thing: "Those stickers etc look too new on his van...."

no, no!...  the Dems had Sayoc as undercover agent in the GOP  for 30 years to undermine Trump's midterm elections ( whereas nobody imagined Trump would be elected only 3 years ago)
 

14 minutes ago, Emdog said:

I'm waiting for those who said it was some sort of left wing conspiracy to win election (Limbaugh, Fox, etc) to man up and say "We were shamefully wrong and apologize". I've got my ice skates ready in Hell's locker room in anticipation... BTW they are STILL saying this is leftist thing: "Those stickers etc look too new on his van...."

 

I think you will have a long wait...

He looks and sounds Spanish. What a twist.

3 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

Clutching at any straw you can't, aren't you?  Seriously sad. lol

Lol... straws? Really?

your in serious denial.... how much power is there in just1voice? 

3 hours ago, schlog said:

Why didn't the post office stamps the parcels?

80% of stamps in the United States are not franked. The problem is the Post Office are short of staff, labour costs are higher than the loss that would be incurred if someone steamed the stamps off for reuse.