The man arrested in connection to at least 16 apparent pipe bombs sent last month to public figures and critics of President Donald Trump on Friday waived his bond hearing and agreed to face the charges levied against him in New York.
Cesar Sayoc, 56, was arrested last week in Florida. According to the FBI, Sayoc is accused of mailing more than a dozen packages containing “potentially destructive devices” in manila envelopes affixed with “Forever” stamps. The packages had Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz's office in Florida listed as the return address, according to officials.
Update 2:50 p.m. EDT Nov. 2: Officials with the FBI confirmed Friday that a 16th apparent mail bomb was recovered by authorities in California one day earlier.
Authorities said the bomb was the second addressed to billionaire Tom Steyer, a frequent Trump critic, that was “similar in appearance to others” linked to Sayoc.
Update 10:40 a.m. EDT Nov. 2: It was not immediately clear when Sayoc would be transferred from Florida to New York after he waived a bond hearing and agreed to the move at a hearing in Miami on Friday.
He could be transferred to New York at any time after Friday's hearing, WFOR-TV reported. Officials with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Marshal Service don't generally say when inmates are being transferred due to security concerns, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The newspaper reported that Sayoc appeared to be calm during Friday’s hearing.
Authorities have charged Sayoc with interstate transportation of explosives, illegal mailing of explosives, making threats against former presidents and other persons, threatening interstate communications and assaulting current and former federal officers. If convicted, Sayoc could face a sentence of nearly 50 years in prison.
Prosecutors said additional charges may yet be filed against Sayoc.
Update 10:15 a.m. EDT Nov. 2: The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that Sayoc waived his bond hearing Friday at a federal courthouse in Miami and agreed to be transferred to New York, where he's expected to face at least five federal charges that carry a sentence of nearly 50 years, if he's convicted.
Authorities last week arrested Sayoc on charges including interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of an explosive and making threats against former presidents and others. He’s accused of sending what authorities described as IEDs to former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, actor Robert Di Nero and several others.
Update 9:55 a.m. EDT Nov. 2: Sayoc's defense attorney told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that his client will agree on Friday to remain jailed and be transferred to New York City to face prosecution following his arrest in connection to a slew of mail bombs discovered last month.
The decision came after prosecutors filed documents listing evidence and sharing some details on the case they're building against the Florida man, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
“It’s better to let the federal public defenders who are going to represent him in New York have the detention hearing there, if they think that’s appropriate,” attorney Jamie Benjamin told the newspaper. “We thought it was important to not let it all steamroll over the defendant so we wanted to preserve his rights and have all the relevant information before making this decision.”
Sayoc is scheduled to appear at 10 a.m. in a federal courtroom in Miami for his bail hearing.
Update 8:55 a.m. EDT Nov. 2: Sayoc is scheduled to appear in court at 10 a.m. for a bail hearing. At the hearing, a judge will also determine when he should be moved from Miami to New York, where several package bombs were sent, for prosecution of the case.
Federal prosecutors contend that Sayoc should remain jailed until trial, given the magnitude of the charges and the strong evidence against him.
Authorities believe Sayoc began planning his attacks in July, according to Reuters. He faces five federal charges which carry a sentence of nearly 50 years if he's convicted.
Update 2:50 p.m. EDT Oct. 29: Sayoc, who appeared in court for the first time Monday, is expected to remain in federal custody in South Florida for a few days ahead of an expected move to New York, where he will face prosecution in connection to a series of suspected mail bombs, the Miami Herald reported.
A judge set a second detention hearing for Sayoc on Friday after his attorneys asked for more time to prepare a request of possible bond, according to the Herald. The newspaper reported that prosecutors said they would oppose any bond for Sayoc.
Update 2:25 p.m. EDT Oct. 29: An unidentified U.S. official told The Associated Press that Sayoc kept a list of elected officials and others who investigators believe were intended targets of mailed devices that authorities identified last week as IEDs.
The official told the AP that investigators are scrutinizing Sayoc's social media posts. The AP reported that investigators believe he made the explosives discovered last week and on Monday in his van.
Update 1 p.m. EDT Oct. 29: Officials with the FBI have confirmed that a package addressed to the CNN Center in Atlanta and intercepted by authorities Friday is "similar in appearance to others" that contained "potentially destructive devices."
The package is the third suspicious one to be sent to CNN in the last week. The news station reported that two other packages, one addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan and the other addressed to former National Intelligence Director James Clapper, were intercepted by authorities en route to CNN’s New York offices.
Update 11:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 29: A CNN reporter shared a photograph Monday of a suspicious package that was intercepted Monday and addressed to the news network's Atlanta headquarters.
The package appears to match others seized by authorities last week that contained what were described as IEDs. Officials did not immediately confirm that the package intercepted Monday was related to ones sent last week.
Update 11:25 a.m. EDT Oct. 29: In a statement obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, FBI spokesman Kevin Rowson said the federal agency's bomb squad was responding Monday to an Atlanta post office where officials intercepted a suspicious package addressed to CNN's Atlanta offices.
“We were notified by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” he said. “No other details at this point.”
CNN president Jeff Zucker said in a statement that “there is no imminent danger to the CNN Center.”
It is not clear if the latest package is related to the packages mailed last week.
Update 11 a.m. EDT Oct. 29: A post office in downtown Atlanta has been evacuated as authorities investigate a suspicious package addressed to CNN's Atlanta headquarters, according to WSBTV and The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Police were called to the post office at 400 Pryor Street SW just before 9:40 a.m., police spokesman Officer Jarius Daugherty said in a statement.
The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation.
Earlier Monday, CNN President Jeff Zucker said in a statement that a suspicious package was intercepted en route to the CNN Center in Atlanta.
"There is no imminent danger to the CNN Center," Zucker said. "All mail, at all CNN domestic bureaus, is being screened at off-site facilities as of last Wednesday, so this package would NOT have come directly to the CNN Center, even if it hadn't been intercepted first."
Update 10:25 a.m. EDT Oct. 29: Officials with CNN said Monday that a new suspicious package has been intercepted in Atlanta.
Update 3:55 p.m. EDT Oct. 26: Police in Burlingame, California, confirmed Friday that a package found at a mail facility in the city "is consistent with the mailings throughout the nation."
The package, which was addressed to philanthropist Tom Steyer, "has been removed from that facility and the area has been rendered safe," police said.
Update 3:15 p.m. EDT Oct. 26: FBI Director Christopher Wray warned at a news conference Friday that more mailed explosives could be discovered as authorities continue to investigate packages sent to Democrats and Trump critics this week.
“(They) may be in transit now,” Wray said.
Reports surfaced Thursday that authorities were investigating whether the packages, which Wray described as “IEDs,” were meant to explode or if they were meant to sow fear.
Wray said FBI investigators continue to analyze the devices, but he added, “These are not hoax devices.”
“We're still trying to determine if the devices were functional,” Wray said. "They did contain energetic material, which, if subjected to the right combination of heat or shock or friction could be dangerous to the public."
Wray said investigators determined Sayoc was a suspect connected with the package bombs after one of his fingerprints was found on an IED mailed to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California. Authorities also found DNA that appeared to link two different packages, he said.
Update 3 p.m. EDT Oct. 26: U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Friday that authorities arrested Cesar Sayoc on five federal charges, including interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of an explosive and making threats against former presidents and others.
Sessions said Sayoc could face as many as 58 years if he’s convicted of the charges.
“This is utterly unacceptable,” Sessions said. “We will not tolerate such lawlessness, especially political violence.”
Additional charges could be filed as authorities continue to investigate.
Update 2:45 p.m. EDT Oct. 26: Philanthropist Tom Steyer released a statement Friday amid reports that authorities in California have intercepted a suspicious package mailed to him. Authorities did not immediately confirm that the package was connected to a series of suspected pipe bombs sent to Democrats and critics of President Donald Trump in recent days.
"We're thankful that everyone we work with at Next Gen America and Need to Impeach is safe -- that's always our first priority, and will continue to be our first priority," Steyer said. "It's time for the Republican Party to denounce any attacks on the rights and dignity of any American and begin to work on building the broadest and most comprehensive democracy possible for each and every American."
Update 2:15 p.m. EDT Oct. 26: An arrest affidavit obtained by WFTV shows Sayoc was arrested in 2002 after called an office of Florida Power & Light in southern Florida and threatened to blow it up.
According to the affidavit, Sayoc said, "It would be worse than September 11th."
Sayoc pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to probation, The Washington Post reported.
Update 1:50 p.m. EDT Oct. 26: Authorities in California are investigating a suspicious package addressed to philanthropist Tom Steyer, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, CNN reported.
Authorities continue to investigate a separate suspicious package found Friday in Sacramento and addressed to Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, according to the Sacramento Bee.
If the packages are connected to others sent to high-profile Democrats and Trump critics in recent days, they would bring the total number of packages discovered since Monday to 14.
Update 1:05 p.m. EDT Oct. 26: Unidentified law enforcement sources told the Miami Herald that Sayoc was connected to a series of apparent mail bombs sent in recent days through "a trail of DNA evidence on either the packages or the devices."
The newspaper reported that he has been undergoing questioning by FBI agents with the Joint Terrorism Task Force since about 10 a.m, when he was arrested at an AutoZone in Plantation.
Update 12:40 p.m. EDT Oct. 26: President Donald Trump praised law enforcement officials Friday after authorities arrested a man suspected of sending apparent mail bombs to several public figures this week.
“I am pleased to inform you that law enforcement has apprehended the suspect and taken him into custody," Trump said while addressing the 2018 Young Black Leadership Summit in Washington. "It's an incredible job done by law enforcement."
Since Monday, officials have found at least 12 suspected explosive devices bound for Democrats or public figures who have been critical of Trump. Two of the suspicious packages were sent to CNN’s New York bureau, addressed to former Obama administration officials.
"These terrorizing acts are despicable and have no place in our country, no place,” the president said. “We must never allow political violence to take root in America -- cannot let it happen. And I am committed to doing everything in my power as president to stop it, and to stop it now.”
The president has frequently faced criticism for his attacks on the media, including his support of a lawmaker who body-slammed a reporter in 2017.
Update 12:25 p.m. EDT Oct. 26: An unnamed law enforcement official told the New York Times that the man arrested Friday in connection to a string of suspected mail bombs sent in recent days has been identified as Cesar Sayoc Jr., 56, of Aventura, Florida.
According to the Times, Sayoc is a registered Republican who has a criminal history in Florida dating back to 1991, including an arrest for allegedly threatening to use a bomb. He was born in New York, the newspaper reported.
Update 11:45 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: President Donald Trump said he plans to address the investigation into suspected mail bombs sent to public figures in recent days at an appearance Friday at the Young Black Leadership Summit.
Update 11:40 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: Authorities are investigating what might be a 13th suspicious package in Sacramento, California, CNN reported.
The package was addressed to Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, according to the news network.
Update 11:35 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: Officials with the FBI confirmed a person was in custody Friday.
Update 11:25 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: A Florida man taken into custody for questioning Friday in connection to a series of suspect mail bombs discovered this week was arrested at an auto part store in Plantation, the Miami Herald reported.
The newspaper described the suspect as a man in his 50s from Aventura.
Update 11:05 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: A spokeswoman for the Justice Department confirmed that authorities had a person in custody Friday in connection with a series of suspected mail bombs sent in recent days.
Update 11 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: A man was taken into custody Friday in Florida for questioning in connection with a series of suspected mail bombs sent in recent days to Democrats and critics of President Donald Trump, NBC News and CBS News reported.
CNN reported that the man was arrested in connection with the packages.
Update 10:55 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: John Miller, deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism for the New York City Police Department, confirmed at a news conference Friday that the suspicious package found at a Manhattan mail facility Friday appeared similar to other suspicious packages mailed in recent days.
Miller said an X-ray done of the package showed “what appears to be a pipe bomb consistent with other devices we’ve seen this week contained in a package consistent with other devices we’ve seen this week.”
The package was addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, care of CNN, CBS New York reported.
Update 10:35 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: President Donald Trump said coverage of a series of suspected explosive devices sent in recent days to Democrats and critics of the president has greatly slowed the momentum of Republicans ahead of the mid-term elections.
“Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the pools, and now this ‘Bomb’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows - news not talking politics,” the president wrote in a tweet Friday. “Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republican, go out and vote!”
The president posted his tweet amid reports that a pair of new suspicious packages have been found, bringing the total number of suspected explosive devices sent to 12.
The House Oversight Committee issued a statement Friday condemning the incidents.
Update 10:20 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: Police in New York City confirmed that a suspicious package found Friday morning at a mail facility in Manhattan has been safely removed.
The package was addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, care of CNN, CBS New York reported.
Update 10:15 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: The suspicious package addressed to Sen. Cory Booker and found Friday in Florida was recovered during an overnight search at a mail facility in Opa-locka, Florida, The Associated Press reported, citing an unidentified law enforcement source.
The official told the AP that the package was similar to others sent to Democrats and critics of President Donald Trump since Monday, with the return address listed as the Sunrise, Florida, office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
"The official did not know if the package was outgoing or a return-to-sender mailing," according to the AP.
Update 9:45 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: In a statement released Friday by his publicist, actor Robert De Niro called on people to vote as authorities investigate a series of apparent mail bombs sent to Democrats and critics of President Donald Trump in recent days.
Authorities on Thursday recovered a suspicious package containing what authorities described as a crude pipe bomb at De Niro’s office in New York City.
"There's something more powerful than bombs, and that's your vote,” De Niro said Friday. “People must vote!"
The actor said he was thankful no one was hurt and thanked "the brave and resourceful security and law enforcement people for protecting us."
Update 9:25 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: CBS New York shared an image of a package that was reportedly recovered from a mail facility in New York City on Friday, addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
The package, which was addressed to Clapper care of CNN’s New York bureau, appeared similar to other packages sent in recent days to public figures that contained what the FBI described as "potentially destructive devices.”
Clapper told CNN that he and his wife have been concerned about their neighbors since the packages surfaced because the couple is out of town and the neighbors have been picking up their mail.
"In one sense, it's kind of a relief, but it's not a surprise," he told CNN. "This is definitely domestic terrorism. No question about it in my mind."
Update 9:10 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: CNN reported that a suspicious package discovered at a Manhattan mail facility on Friday morning and addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was bound for the news network's New York bureau.
The package would be the second sent to CNN’s offices at the Time Warner Center after authorities recovered a suspected explosive device Wednesday addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, care of CNN.
Brennan and Clapper are regular guests on CNN.
Update 9 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: A suspicious package found at a New York City mail facility on Friday morning was addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CNN and NBC News reported.
Update 8:55 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: Authorities in New York City have closed some streets to traffic as they investigate a report of a new suspicious package.
Update 8:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: Officials with the FBI confirmed Friday that an 11th suspicious package, addressed to Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, appeared similar to 10 others sent in recent days.
Authorities said the package was recovered in Florida.
Update 8:45 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: An 11th package, addressed to Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, has been discovered in Florida, NBC News. and WABC reported.
Update 5:06 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: In an early morning tweet Friday, President Donald Trump implied that several media outlets were blaming him for the packages of apparent pipe bombs sent since Monday to public figures.
“Funny how lowly rated CNN, and others, can criticize me at will, even blaming me for the current spate of Bombs and ridiculously comparing this to September 11th and the Oklahoma City bombing,” Trump wrote. “Yyet when I criticize them they go wild and scream, ‘it’s just not Presidential!’”
Update 3:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 26: After reports that some of the packages were mailed from a postal facility in Opa-locka, Florida, the Miami-Dade County Police Department sent a bomb squad and K-9 to sweep the place late Thursday, the Miami Herald reported. No explosive devices were found, the newspaper reported.
Update 5:30 p.m. EDT Oct. 25: A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that investigators suspect that some of the parcels were mailed from Florida.
Authorities say that those packages went through the Opa-locka, Florida mail processing and distribution facility, according to CNN.
Update 4 p.m. EDT Oct. 25: Experts at the FBI's lab in Quantico, Virginia, are examining 10 apparent package bombs sent in recent days to several public figures.
At a news conference Thursday, FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney declined to go into detail about the investigation which he said was “still in its early stages.”
“It does remain possible that further packages have been or will be mailed,” he said.
Authorities confirmed that powder found Wednesday in an envelope sent with a suspected explosive device to CNN’s New York bureau did not appear in initial tests to be a biological agent. They declined to address reports that the devices might not have been rigged for detonation.
“This is something that should be taken seriously,” New York City police Commissioner James O’Neill said. “We are treating them as live devices.”
Authorities also declined to confirm reports that some of the packages appeared to have been sent from Florida.
Update 3:25 p.m. EDT Oct. 25: A pair of unidentified law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that authorities are investigating whether the pipe bombs sent to several prominent Democrats in recent days were intended to detonate.
"The devices were not rigged like traditional booby trap package (bombs) that would explode upon opening," the AP reported, adding that the devices lacked an ignition or trip wire.
Update 3:15 p.m. EDT Oct. 25: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thanked the U.S. Secret Service on Thursday, one day after agency officials said they intercepted a device bound for Clinton's home in Chappaqua, New York, that authorities described as a "potential explosive device."
“I’m grateful for the hard work and commitment of the Secret Service every day, and never more than this week,” Clinton wrote in a tweet.
Update 2:45 p.m. EDT Oct. 25: Initial tests of a white powder found in an envelope addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan and sent Wednesday to CNN's New York bureau have determined that the powder is not anthrax or any known agents, the news network reported Thursday.
Additional tests will be performed on the powder, CNN reported, citing an unidentified law enforcement official.
Speculation grew on social media Wednesday after images of the device surfaced with what appeared to be an Islamic State flag on it. However, CNN reported that the image appeared to be a widely circulated spoof of the flag.
NBC News reported that the spoof image, in which the flag's text is replaced by the silhouettes of three women and the words "Get 'Er Done," has been seen on right-wing websites and forums since at least 2014.
Update 10:40 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: The FBI confirmed Thursday that a trio of packages discovered earlier in the day are "similar in appearance" to others sent in recent days containing "potentially destructive devices."
Two of the packages found Thursday were addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and recovered in Delaware. A third package, found in New York, was addressed to actor Robert De Niro.
Two officials told The Associated Press that the device sent to De Niro might have been sitting in the mail room of his Tribeca Film Center building for days before its discovery.
A person affiliated with the center saw pictures circulating Wednesday of a mail bomb addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan and sent to the Time Warner Center, care of CNN. The person recalled seeing a similar package in the Tribeca Film Center mail room and called police, the AP reported.
Officials believe the package was delivered earlier this week, according to the AP.
Update 9:45 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: Robert De Niro's spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, called a mail bomb addressed to the actor and sent to the building for his Tribeca Productions company "extremely disturbing and frightening," in an interview with CNN.
“It seems that all the people that were targeted have one thing in common, and that is their political beliefs,” Rosenfield said. “That is the only thing I can conclude at this point.”
Update 9:35 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: Authorities are investigating a second package bomb addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and found at a mail facility in Delaware, according to multiple reports.
NBC News reported that a package was found at a facility in Wilmington. Earlier Thursday, officials intercepted a mail bomb addressed to Biden at a facility in New Castle.
Postal supervisor Sherina Dawson told WPVI that an employee noticed the package in Wilmington, which appeared similar to others sent to public figures since Monday.
Update 9:15 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: As of Thursday morning, officials are investigating nine mail bombs addressed to public figures and intercepted by authorities in recent days.
The packages were addressed to:
- The Clintons
- The Obamas
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
- Former CIA Director John Brennan, care of CNN
- Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California (two packages -- one sent to California and another to Washington)
- Philanthropist George Soros
- Actor Robert De Niro
“All shared the same kind of manila envelope, with a return address of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), the former head of the Democratic National Committee,” Cox Media Group’s Jamie Dupree reported. “Six ‘Forever’ flag stamps were affixed in the upper right hand corner, even if the package had not been sent through the U.S. Postal Service.”
The package addressed to Holder was sent Wednesday to Wasserman Schultz’s office because it had a bad address on it, officials said, and the Florida lawmaker’s office was listed as the return address.
Update 8:55 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: Former CIA Director John Brennan, one of the people targeted by a package bomb sent Wednesday to CNN's New York bureau, on Thursday criticized President Donald Trump's response to the packages.
“Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror,” he wrote in a Twitter post. “Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful.”
Earlier Thursday, the president accused the media of playing “a very big part of the Anger we see today in our society.”
Update 8:16 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: WTXF in Philadelphia has shared photos of the suspicious package addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden.
Update 7:59 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: NBC News is reporting that a suspicious package addressed to Vice President Joe Biden has been located at a Delaware postal facility.
Update 7:51 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: The FBI "is responding with our law enforcement partners to a US Postal facility in Delaware," CNN's Jim Sciutto tweeted Thursday morning.
WPVI is reporting a "large police presence" at the facility in New Castle County. The station said it was "not clear" whether the presence was related to reports that a suspicious package may have been sent to former Vice President Joe Biden.
Update 7:36 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: Several news outlets have shared the following photo of the package sent to Robert De Niro.
Update 7:24 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: The suspicious package found early Thursday in New York's Tribeca neighborhood was addressed to actor Robert De Niro, CNN and ABC News are reporting.
A New York police bomb squad has removed the package from a Greenwich Street building that is home to the Tribeca Grill and Tribeca Films, The Associated Press reported. De Niro owns the restaurant and founded the Tribeca Film Festival, according to CNN.
Sources told WNBC that the package looked similar to the other ones sent to prominent public figures. One source told the station that the package also had a return address for Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to blame the media for the “anger we see today in our society.”
Update 6:21 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: A suspicious package is under investigation in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood, multiple news outlets are reporting.
WINS and WNBC are reporting that a device similar to those sent to several politicians yesterday was found at actor Robert De Niro's Tribeca Grill.
Update 5:39 a.m. EDT Oct. 25: Investigators are searching for a suspicious package that may have been addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden, CNN and Reuters are reporting, citing unnamed sources.
"The package, now considered suspicious because of similarities to others, was misaddressed and returned to sender," CNN reported.
Update 9:45 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: President Donald Trump opened his rally in Moisinee, Wisconsin, Wednesday night by addressing the suspicious devices that were sent to his political rivals and CNN, after his constant political targets became real targets.
"Any acts or threats of political violence are an attack on our democracy itself," Trump told the crowd at his rally.
At least seven suspicious devices were sent to seven different locations over the past couple days, leading some experts to question whether there’s a possible serial bomber on the loose
“There is one way to settle our disagreements. It’s called peacefully at the ballot box,” the president said.
Then he pledged to find the suspect or suspects.
"We will find those responsible and we will bring those to justice."
While he seemed to tone down his rhetoric against news outlets at one point by calling for more civility in politics, he slipped back into familiar territory with his near constant criticism of the media.
“Media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories.”
Meantime The Associated Press is reporting the suspicious devices contained shards of glass and a sulphur-like substance.
Update 8:10 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: The Los Angeles Police Department evacuated the South Los Angeles postal facility after an employee found what was described as a "suspicious package" addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters, according to the LA Times.
The package appeared to be similar to the New York and DC bombs according to The Associated Press.
Update 5:50 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has increased security at critical transportation locations after explosive devices were found in three places over the past two days.
"Public safety is our number one priority, and we are taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of New Yorkers," Cuomo said in a statement posted on social media.
"Out of an abundance of caution, I am deploying 100 additional National Guard soldiers and directing state law enforcement to double security at vital assets across New York, including LaGuardia and JFK, mass transit systems and bridges and tunnels," he said.
Cuomo said New Yorkers have never given into fear and won’t start now.
“As New Yorkers, we understand the dangers of our times -- just as we have done since the first bombing of the World Trade Center 25 years ago -- we will stand up and stand together against them.”
“We are tough, we are resilient and we will not allow terrorist thugs to change the way we lead our lives. We will not let terrorism win -- not today, not ever,” he said.
Update 4:45 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz, whose Florida address was used as a return address on a suspicious package addressed to former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, called the incident "an appalling attack on our democracy," in a statement Wednesday afternoon, according to NBC News.
“We will not be intimidated by this attempted act of violence,” she said.
Wasserman Schultz also said the attack “must be vigorously prosecuted.”
Update 3:55 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: Waters confirmed in a statement that authorities seized a suspicious package Wednesday that was bound for her Washington office.
"I am appreciative of the law enforcement entitites who intercepted the package and are investigating the matter," she said. "I unequivocally condemn any and all acts of violence and terror."
Update 3:50 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker criticized President Donald Trump and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday for what he called "a total and complete lack of understanding ... about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media."
Zucker’s statement came after an explosive was sent to the Time Warner Center, where CNN’s New York bureau is housed, addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan.
Update 3:25 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: The Time Warner Center has reopened hours after a suspicious package sent to Brennan, care of CNN, closed the center, Spectrum News NY1 reported.
Update 3:05 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: Former President Bill Clinton thanked the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement officers for their responses to several packages containing explosive devices that were sent this week.
“They work tirelessly to keep our country and communities safe,” Bill Clinton wrote Wednesday in a tweet. “I am forever grateful for their efforts.”
One of the packages, intercepted Tuesday night by the Secret Service, was addressed to the former president’s wife, Hillary Clinton, and bound for the couple’s home in Chappaqua, New York, officials said.
Update 2:30 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: President Donald Trump pledged to use the "full weight of our government" resources to investigate a series of packages sent to public figures Wednesday with apparent explosives inside.
“The safety of the American people is my highest priority,” the president said. “In these times we have to unify, we have to come together and send one very clear, strong message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America."
The president has frequently faced criticism for his attacks on the media, including his support of a lawmaker who body-slammed a reporter in 2017.
Update 2:20 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: First lady Melania Trump thanked law enforcement Wednesday as authorities investigated a series of explosive devices sent to public figures earlier in the day.
“We cannot tolerate those cowardly attacks and I strongly condemn all who use violence,” she said.
Update 2:15 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: A senior law enforcement official told WNBC that a suspicious package mailed Wednesday to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was not linked to other packages sent Wednesday to public figures that contained apparent explosive devices.
Authorities told CNN that the package mailed to Cuomo contained literature. It was deemed safe Wednesday afternoon.
Update 1:55 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: Another suspicious package, intercepted Wednesday by U.S. Capitol Police, was addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, according to ABC.
Update 1:40 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: A suspicious package sent to Wasserman Schultz's office in Florida on Wednesday was originally meant for former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, CNN reported, citing a pair of unidentified law enforcement sources.
The package failed to reach its original target because it had the wrong address on it, according to CNN. Wasserman Schultz's office address was listed as on the package's return label, the news station reported.
Update 1:20 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: CNN has released an image of the package sent to former CIA Director John Brennan, care of the news network's New York bureau, on Wednesday.
Update 1:10 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said a suspicious device was sent to his office in Manhattan.
The governor said that a device “has been identified and is being handled as we speak,” during a news conference Wednesday.
"We would not be surprised if more devices show up,” he said.
Update 12:55 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: New York police said a package addressed to CNN and seized Wednesday morning included a live explosive and an envelope that contained white powder.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said there were no credible and specific threats outstanding in the city.
Update 12:35 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: Addressing a crowd in Florida on Wednesday, Clinton thanked the U.S. Secret Service for intercepting a suspected explosive addressed to her one day earlier.
“We are fine thanks to the men and women of the Secret Service who intercepted the package addressed to us long before it made its way to our home,” Clinton said. “Every day we are grateful for their service and commitment and obviously never more than today, but it is a troubling time, isn’t it?”
Update 12:15 p.m. EDT Oct. 24: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Donald Trump and other officials continue to monitor reports of possible explosive devices found by authorities on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Huckabee Sanders had earlier condemned reports of suspected explosives sent to Clinton and Obama. Later, CNN reported that a possible explosive was sent to the news network’s New York bureau, at the Time Warner Center.
“This is an ongoing situation,” Huckabee Sanders said. “Our condemnation of these (despicable) acts certainly includes threats made to CNN as well as current or former public servants. These cowardly acts are unacceptable and (won’t) be tolerated.”
Update 11:55 a.m. EDT Oct. 24: Police have removed a suspected pipe bomb found Wednesday morning in the Time Warner Center mail room.
Police told CNN that the device would likely be taken to Rodman's Neck in the Bronx, where it will be detonated.
Update 11:45 a.m. EDT Oct. 24: Authorities in Florida are investigating another suspicious package sent to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's office in Sunrise, WFOR reported.
Wasserman Schultz previously served as chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Update 11:35 a.m. EDT Oct. 24: A suspicious package sent Wednesday morning to CNN's New York bureau at the Time Warner Center was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, the news network reported, citing unidentified city and law enforcement officials.
Brennan is a regular guest on CNN.
A law enforcement official told the news network that the device found Wednesday in the Time Warner Center mail room "is similar to the ones addressed to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and George Soros."
Update 11:20 a.m. EDT Oct. 24: Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, thanked the U.S. Secret Service after officials announced they had intercepted on Tuesday a possible explosive device addressed to Hillary Clinton.
“Every day, I am grateful to the women and men of the United States Secret Service,” Chelsea Clinton wrote in a tweet. “Thank you.”
Update 11:15 a.m. EDT Oct. 24: Officials with the U.S. Secret Service said reports of a suspicious package intercepted en route to the White House on Wednesday were erroneous.
CNN had reported earlier Wednesday that a package containing a pipe bomb and addressed to the White House was intercepted at Joint Base Bolling in Washington.
Update 11 a.m. EDT Oct. 24: The Time Warner Center in New York City was evacuated Wednesday morning after a suspicious package was found in the building's mail room, according to CNN.
Anchors were on the air when the evacuation was ordered.
It was not immediately clear whether the suspicious package was addressed to CNN.
Update 10:35 a.m. EDT Oct. 24: White House officials on Wednesday condemned reports of explosive packages sent in recent days to Clinton, Obama and others.
“These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.
Officials did not immediately confirm a report from CNN that a package containing a pipe bomb and addressed to the White House was intercepted at Joint Base Bolling in Washington.
Update 10:20 a.m. EDT Oct. 24: New York City's Time Warner Center was evacuated Wednesday morning after a suspicious package was sent to the building, which houses CNN.
Update 10:15 a.m. EDT Oct. 24: An unidentified law enforcement official told CNN that a fourth suspicious package was intercepted in Washington en route to the White House.
Update 10 a.m. EDT Oct. 24: President Donald Trump has been briefed on a pair of possible explosive devices addressed in recent days to Clinton and Obama, NBC News reported.
An unidentified White House official told the news network that White House officials are taking the situation “extremely seriously.”
Original report: Officials with the U.S. Secret Service said in a statement Wednesday that a package addressed to Clinton was recovered late Tuesday night. Officials with the FBI said they were investigating a suspicious package "found in the vicinity of the Clinton residence in Chappaqua, NY."
The package was found around 1 a.m., Spectrum News NY 1 reported. An unidentified official described the device to The Associated Press as a "functional explosive device."
An unidentified senior law enforcement official told WNBC that the package was similar to the bomb found earlier this week at philanthropist George Soros's home in Bedford, New York.
Officials also confirmed that authorities intercepted a package Wednesday addressed to Obama.
“The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such,” Secret Service officials said in a statement. “The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them.”
The AP reported that the device sent to Clinton had all the components of a bomb, including explosive powder. The device, which resembled a pipe bomb, was found in a mailbox, according to the AP.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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