Florida Man Held, Van Searched in Case of 12 Suspicious Packages Sent to Public Figures
Chuck Ross /
Law enforcement officials on Friday arrested a Florida man identified as Cesar Sayoc Jr. in connection with 12 suspected mail bombs sent to Democratic politicians and other public officials in the past few days.
Sayoc, who resides in Aventura, Florida, north of Miami, is suspected of sending at least 12 potential explosive devices to Democrats and associated former officials, including former President Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Fla., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. All those who were sent packages have been political opponents of President Donald Trump.
Sayoc has a criminal history that includes charges for grand theft and felony distribution of steroids, according to public records. In August 2002, he was charged with threatening “to throw, place, project or discharge” a destructive device.
Cesar Sayoc, a Florida man identified as a suspect in the suspicious mail bombings, has a history of arrests, including one for a 2002 bomb threat https://t.co/14ix0zIHeI
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 26, 2018
Packages also were sent to liberal billionaire financier George Soros, actor Robert De Niro, former Attorney General Eric Holder, and former national intelligence chief James Clapper. Another package went to the New York headquarters of CNN, where the addressee was former CIA Director John Brennan, now an analyst for MSNBC.
None of the devices exploded or reached the intended target, authorities said.
Sayoc, whose race is listed as white in public records, started a business called Native American Catering & Vending in September 2016.
His social media accounts suggest that he claims membership in the Seminole tribe. His biography on a Twitter account Sayoc operated listed him as an events manager at the Seminole Hard Rock casino.
Authorities Identify ‘Mail Bomb’ Suspect as 56-Year Old Cesar Sayoc, Jr. ?? https://t.co/womoV5a2H6
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) October 26, 2018
Sayoc’s Twitter account, discovered shortly after his arrest, sheds some light on potential motives. The account includes numerous memes criticizing Soros, the Clintons, and Obama.
Sayoc is listed on Nexis as a registered Republican. Photos and video of his white van, parked outside an AutoZone store in nearby Plantation, Florida, showed it covered in what appeared to be pro-Trump stickers.
One sticker says “CNN Sucks” and another reads “Native Americans for Trump.” Other stickers show crosshairs over Clinton, Obama, and CNN host Van Jones, a former Obama White House official.
@CBSMiamiI have some pictures of this van I saw him at a stoplight one day and thought is was very strange. pic.twitter.com/VWUwznJK8k
— Mahmud mohamed (@thereal_mo01) October 26, 2018
The FBI moved the van, covered in blue tarp, to a facility in Broward County.
It remained unclear what charges Sayoc will face. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined comment, though the agency planned to hold a press conference Friday afternoon.
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