Update: Oct. 26 10:00 a.m. CT: CNN reports that a man is in custody in connection to the packages being sent.
We can confirm one person is in custody. We will hold a press conference at the Department of Justice at 2:30pm ET.
— Sarah Isgur (@whignewtons) October 26, 2018
Authorities arrested Cesar Sayoc of Aventura, Florida. The Justice Department is holding a press conference at 1:30pm CT to discuss the arrests.
The original report is below.
Suspicious packages addressed to former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton were intercepted by the U.S. Secret Service as the CNN building in New York was evacuated on Oct. 24.
The Secret Service said that a package addressed to Clinton was found late Tuesday and the second package, addressed to Obama’s home in Washington D.C., was found on Wednesday morning. CNN tweeted that its New York headquarters was being evacuated after a similar “suspicious device” addressed to CNN was discovered at the Time Warner Center.
The packages sent to Obama and the Clinton residence were found during “routine mail screen procedures” and determined to be “potential explosive devices,” the Secret Service said. Both Clinton and Obama were not at risk of receiving the packages, they said.
The Secret Service said it has launched an investigation into who sent the packages.
“The Secret Service has initiated a full scope criminal investigation that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources to determine the source of the packages and identify those responsible,” the agency said in a statement.
The New York Times reports that both packages were similar to one that was sent to Democratic mega-donor George Soros. CBS News reported at the time that the device sent to Soros “had the components” of an actual bomb.
The New York FBI tweeted that it was “aware” of the package sent to the Clintons and is working with authorities to investigate it.
In a statement, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders condemned the acts.
.@PressSec: “We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures. These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law 1/2
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) October 24, 2018
Update 10:14am CT, Oct. 24: CNN’s office in New York was evacuated after reports of a suspicious package.
Breaking: CNN NY office evacuated. Police bomb squad is here. We’re told of explosive device received. @CNNnewsroom
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 24, 2018
JUST IN: The NYPD is responding to a suspicious device discovered at the Time Warner Center, where CNN is based, in New York, according to a law enforcement source. The CNN bureau has evacuated as a precaution. https://t.co/BmgkJ2qaIE pic.twitter.com/Ad8PoQ5kkf
— CNN (@CNN) October 24, 2018
Initial reports said that a package addressed to the White House was intercepted, but the Secret Service said that was false.
CLARIFICATION: At this time the Secret Service has intercepted TWO suspicious packages – one in NY and one in D.C. Reports of a third intercepted package addressed to the WH are incorrect. We refer media to our statement: https://t.co/lJdTn04KmI
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) October 24, 2018
Update 10:40am CT, Oct. 24: CNN reports that the suspicious package “was in fact addressed to CNN, but more specifically addressed to former CIA director John Brennan.” Brennan is not a contributor to CNN, but rather to MSNBC.
The package with a suspicious device sent to CNN’s New York offices today was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, according to city and local law enforcement officials https://t.co/BmgkJ2qaIE pic.twitter.com/iKEN9blBSc
— CNN (@CNN) October 24, 2018
Update 11:14am CT, Oct. 24: According to NBC News, the packages sent to the Clinton’s, Obama, and Soros all had a return address listed as former DNC head Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. CBS 4 Miami also reported that the congresswoman’s office was evacuated on Wednesday.
According to reports, the device at Wasserman-Schultz was originally sent to former Attorney General Eric Holder, but had the wrong address and was returned.
#BREAKING: Sunrise Police Department confirms an office building has been evacuated due to suspicious package in the mail. It’s the same building where the office of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is located. @CBS4Ted is live at noon.
— CBS News Miami (@CBSMiami) October 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1055137389537042432
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was also on the receiving end of a package.
Breaking: @NYGovCuomo says explosive device sent to his office as well
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 24, 2018
On Twitter, President Donald Trump condemned the packages, quote tweeting a statement from Vice President Mike Pence.
I agree wholeheartedly! https://t.co/ndzu0A30vU
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 24, 2018
Update 9:14am CT, Oct. 25: Numerous other packages were also sent to other lawmakers and prominent critics of Trump. ABC News reports Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) was sent a package containing a device in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
NBC10, a television station in Philadelphia, reports that two suspicious packages were addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and were intercepted at two different postal facilities.
Meanwhile, a package addressed to actor Robert De Niro was sent to the building that he owns in New York.
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