Florida Man Taken Into Police Custody Over Suspicious Packages: Reports

A Florida man was taken into custody on Oct. 25, in connection with a series of suspicious packages that were sent to CNN, Democrat officials, and others over the past week.

According to The Associated Press, citing the Department of Justice, the person was taken into custody. It doesn’t mean that he was arrested and charged with sending the suspicious packages. NBC News and the Washington Post reported that the suspect is a male.

Caesar Sayoc, 56, was identified first by Spectrum News NY1 and NBC News. A photo of the suspect was posted on social media.

The person was taken into custody in the Miami area, said a law enforcement official to Reuters. An investigation into the wave of suspicious packages led officials to southern Florida and a mail sorting facility in the area.

The Miami Herald reported that the man is in his 50s and is from Aventura, Florida.

So far, 12 packages have been sent to prominent figures, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, actor Robert De Niro, billionaire George Soros, and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) all got packages.

None of the packages have detonated. There have been no injuries. Expert analysis suggests that there were designed to create fear.

On Oct. 26, former intelligence chief James Clapper and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) received suspicious packages, according to news reports.

“I thank God no one’s been hurt, and I thank the brave and resourceful security and law enforcement people for protecting us,” De Niro said in a statement about the matter, according to the Post.

This photo shows one of the suspicious packages, with the name and address blanked out. So far ten of these packages, which reportedly contain explosive devices, have been discovered. (FBI)

The FBI also warned people that there might be more packages yet to be delivered, and they urged people not to touch any suspicious parcels.

“This investigation is of the highest priority for the FBI. We have committed the full strength of the FBI’s resources and, together with our partners on our Joint Terrorism Task Forces, we will continue to work to identify and arrest whoever is responsible for sending these packages,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray in a statement on Oct. 24.

“We ask anyone who may have information to contact the FBI. Do not hesitate to call; no piece of information is too small to help us in this investigation.”

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Oct. 25 that local, state,  federal officials were “working tirelessly to follow every lead” in the case, the 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.

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.

FBI agents, meanwhile, were reportedly at a U.S. Postal facility in Opa-locka, Florida, where the packages may have originated, CBS News reported. “All arrows pointing to Florida,” one official said to CBS News.

The Florida address of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was listed as a return address on the packages, CBS reported.