Authorities arrested a suspect in Florida on Friday in connection with the series of pipe bomb packages addressed to several prominent D...
Authorities arrested a suspect in Florida on Friday in connection with the series of pipe bomb packages addressed to several prominent Democrats and critics of President Donald Trump this week.
The suspect was identified as Cesar Altieri Sayoc, a 56-year-old man living in Florida, authorities said. Sayoc was arrested at an auto parts store in Plantation, Florida.
At least 13 explosive devices were sent over the week, in an act that officials called terrorism.
The intended targets included Democratic megadonor George Soros; former secretary of state Hillary Clinton; former president Barack Obama; former CIA director John Brennan and former national intelligence director James Clapper via CNN's New York office; former attorney general Eric Holder; US Rep. Maxine Waters' Washington, DC, and California offices; actor Robert De Niro; former vice president Joe Biden; US Sen. Cory Booker; and US Sen. Kamala Harris.
He also appeared to be at Trump's inauguration in January.
In a June 2016 Facebook post, he said, "Clinton will be killed."
In one 2016 post, Sayoc called Obama a "Muslim terrorist" — a false conspiracy theory about the former president — who "needs to be executed."
Sayoc also uploaded photos of himself holding signs that said "CNN Sucks" and describing the network as "fake news and dishonest media" — echoing Trump's own words about CNN.
In a tweet, Sayoc posted photos of CNN anchor Don Lemon with a picture of a building on fire, referring to the CNN building.
In September, Sayoc tweeted a threat at Biden, calling him a "piece slim trash" and saying, "Hug your loved son, Niece, wife, family real close everytime U walk out your home."
In an April tweet, Sayoc tweeted a threat at Booker, saying, "Your end will come soon."
On Oct. 22 — the day that a pipe bomb was found in the mailbox of Soros's New York home — a Twitter account that appeared to belong to Sayoc tweeted a photo of Soros with the caption, "The world is waking up to the horrors of George Soros."
Two days after authorities discovered the pipe bomb package to Soros, Sayoc tweeted memes critical of him, Obama, and Florida's Democratic nominee for governor, Andrew Gillum, according to the criminal complaint.
In August, Sayoc tweeted a far-right false conspiracy theory that said Parkland High School shooting survivor David Hogg was a "paid George Soros actor."
A mugshot from the Broward County Sheriff's Office.
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