Cesar Sayoc Charged With Five Counts, Faces 58 Years in Prison

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said that charges were filed against a man suspected of mailing suspicious packages to former presidents, CNN’s office, and others.

“This is utterly unacceptable,” Sessions said on Oct. 26, adding that “political violence” won’t be tolerated in the United States. “This is a law and order administration,” he added.

“A suspect is in the custody of the FBI,” Sessions said, adding that the suspect was charged with interstate transportation of an explosive, the illegal mailings of explosives, threats against former presidents, and assaulting federal officers. He faces up to 58 years in prison.

The suspect, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray, was identified as 56-year-old Cesar Sayoc of Florida. He was arrested on Oct. 26, and according to Reuters, witnesses said he was taken into custody at an AutoZone in Plantation, Florida.

“This was a nationwide investigation,” Wray said, adding that 13 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were sent to individuals. It consisted of PVC pipes, wiring, a clock, and “energetic materials,” Wray said. “These are not hoax devices,” Wray said.

A fingerprint on one of the devices was matched with Sayoc’s, Wray said.

A man named Dre, who is a manager at a used car dealership near the AutoZone, said he heard a loud noise like an explosion at around 11 a.m. “I heard like a bomb,” Dre told Reuters. “I opened the door and saw the FBI there.”

Suspicious packages that are said to contain a bomb-like device were sent to former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, billionaire investor George Soros, Robert De Niro, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former CIA Director John Brennan, and others over the past week.

A Twitter account that he reportedly used features a number of rambling, incoherent tweets and threats. “It a big celebration Georg Clooney crashes and should have died. We almost had a super celebration prays answer Hollywood slime of century died. His time coming awesome,” reads one tweet on July 10. As of 2:45 p.m. ET, the account was still online.

Two more packages were reportedly sent to New  Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on Oct. 25.

Of the packages that were sent, none have exploded. No injuries have been reported, and expert analysis suggests that there were designed to create fear.

Cesar Sayoc is seen in a booking photo in an undated photo in Miami, Florida. Federal authorities took Sayoc, 56, of Aventura, Fla., into custody Oct. 26, 2018 in Florida in connection with a nationwide mail-bomb scare. (Broward County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Officials have said the suspicious packages contained PVC pipes stuffed with what appeared to be fireworks powder and glass. Some had electrical wires and a timer.

Wray said that an investigation is ongoing and is “of the highest priority for the FBI” and “we have committed the full strength of the FBI’s resources.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated on Oct. 25 that local, state, federal officials are “working tirelessly to follow every lead” in the case, the Washington Post reported. “I can tell you this, we will find the person or persons responsible and we’re going to bring them to justice,” Sessions said.

President Donald Trump on Oct. 26. commented law enforcement efforts to capture the suspect.

“We’ve carried out a far-reaching federal, state and local investigation to find the person or persons responsible for these events. These terrorizing acts are despicable and have no place in our country,” Trump said, according to a video of his remarks at the White House on Oct. 26. Trump said officials would prosecute the suspect to the “fullest extent of the law.”