Live Updates: FBI Arrests Man in Connection to Mail Bomb Campaign
By Joshua Caplan
Federal authorities on Friday arrested a man in Plantation, Florida in connection to a series of apparent mail bombs sent to prominent Democrats and progressive activists, according to reports.
Follow updates from Breitbart News on the latest developments in the Kavanaugh confirmation battle. All times eastern.
12:12 PM — Officials say DNA evidence played a key role in Sayoc’s arrest.
11:57 AM — Close up photos of the suspect Cesar Altieri Sayoc’s van taken in April.
11:51 AM — The suspect has been identified as 56-year-old Cesar Altieri Sayoc of Florida.
11:41 AM — President Donald Trump says he will address the mail bomb campaign investigation shortly.
11:33 AM — FBI agents have taken possession of a white van believed to belong to the suspect.
11:15 AM — Fox News’ Rick Leventhal reports the suspect is a 56-year-old white male and has prior arrests for terroristic threats. Further, reports say the man has ties to New York City.
11:09 AM — NBC reports the suspect will face charges in connection to the attempted attacks.
10:58 AM — DOJ spokeswoman confirms initial reports but will not clarify whether there was an arrest.
GOT HIM? SUSPECT IN CUSTODY
By Zachary Fagenson
MIAMI, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Federal authorities arrested a person on Friday in connection with at least a dozen parcel bombs sent this week to Democratic politicians and high-profile critics of U.S. President Donald Trump, the U.S. Justice Department said.
The person was taken into custody in the Miami area, a U.S. law enforcement official said. The investigation into this week’s wave of suspicious packages focused on southern Florida and a mail sorting facility in the area.
The U.S. Justice Department will hold a news conference at 2:30 p.m. EDT. (1830 GMT), a department spokeswoman said.
Citing an unnamed source, cable network MSNBC said the suspect was a man in his 50s. CNN said the arrest was made in Plantation, a city near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Reuters could not immediately confirm those reports.
No one claimed responsibility for parcel bombs, which were denounced by authorities as terrorism, and came less than two weeks ahead of U.S. congressional elections that could alter the balance of power in Washington.
Police found two of the suspicious packages on Friday addressed to U.S. Senator Cory Booker and James Clapper, the former U.S. director of national intelligence, officials said.
The 11th package was addressed to Booker, a Democratic senator from New Jersey, and was discovered at a mail sorting facility in Florida, the FBI said. A 12th package was addressed to Clapper at cable network CNN and was intercepted at a New York City post office, a federal law enforcement official said.
(Reporting by Zachary Fagenson; Additional reporting by Gina Cherelus, Gabriella Borter and Peter Szekely in New York, Mark Hosenball, Makini Brice and Susan Heavey in Washington, and Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee; Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Jeffrey Benkoe)
CNN Chyron: Mail Bomb Recipients Are ‘Trump’s Targets’ Also CNN Chyron: POTUS Won’t Claim ‘Responsibility for Inciting Serial Bomber’ Also CNN: ‘No One’s Blaming the President’
By Justin Caruso
A CNN chyron aired Thursday said Democrats who received mail bombs this week are “Trump’s targets” — hours after an anchor insisted “no one’s blaming the president.”
“Manhunt For Serial Bomber Going After Trump’s Targets” read the CNN chyron at about 1:13 PM. This came after another chyron that also referred to those targeted as “Trump Targets.”
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer ended the segment by saying, “The one common thread between all of these bombs–all of those who are being targeted are President Trump’s frequent punching bags.”
This segment came mere hours after CNN’s John King opened up a panel discussion by stating: “No one’s blaming the president. Is anyone blaming the president?”
And just one hour before this segment, the network’s chyron suggested that Trump bears “responsibility” for “inciting” the perpetrator to send these packages — but alleges the president is not owning up to it.
Although CNN personalities have repeatedly said that they are not blaming Trump or his supporters for the mail bombs, they have emphasized several times that those targeted by the bombs were frequently criticized by Trump and by right-wing media.
Brian Stelter said Wednesday that the targets of the bombs “have all been criticized mercilessly by right-wing outlets.”
CNN analyst Josh Campbell also insisted Wednesday that Trump’s rhetoric may still be to blame for the mail bombs, even if the perpetrator is mentally ill.
“If the package bomber turns out to be someone with mental health issues, that doesn’t mean Pres. Trump is off the hook. If it turns out the bomber was motivated to kill perceived enemies based on recent heated political attacks by officials, those spewing hate share the blame,” he said.
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