A Florida man suspected of mailing suspicious packages to at least 11 prominent Democrats, including 2 former U.S. Presidents, was arrested in Plantation, Florida on Friday.
The suspect, a Caucasian 56-year-old male, was under surveillance for 24 hours before he was taken into custody by F.B.I. agents.
The man was arrested at an Auto Zone store on State Route 7 at SW 6th Street around 10:30 a.m., according to CBS4 in Miami.
A white van covered in “pro-Trump stickers” was towed from the location.
A loud explosion was heard at the time of the arrest, possibly from a flash bang device used by the F.B.I.
The suspect, who lives in North Miami Beach, is a former resident of New York.
He was known to law enforcement and was arrested for making terroristic threats in the past.
The suspect was reportedly identified from surveillance footage at a self-service kiosk at a postal center in Opa Locka, Florida.
The feds say several of the suspicious packages were mailed to New York from the center. Postal workers are sorting through millions of pieces of mail searching for more suspicious packages.
Several hoax pipe bombs were sent to the homes of former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Packages were also sent to California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, former U.S. AG Eric Holder, and anti-Trump actor Robert De Niro.
None of the packages were capable of exploding, according to law enforcement officers.
President Trump will comment on the arrest when he addresses the Young Black Leadership Summit, a conference for young Black conservatives, held in Washington, DC. on Friday.
President Trump tweeted that the news coverage of the suspicious packages was “a distraction” from the high Republican voter turnout in early voting in many states.
