The FBI this morning said it was investigating several suspicious packages sent to former Vice President Joe Biden and actor Robert De Niro, a day after explosive devices were mailed to the homes of former Presidents Obama and Clinton.
Biden was the target of two separate packages, the FBI reported, while De Niro’s office in New York was also targeted with one suspicious parcel. The bureau called the packages “similar in appearance to the others,” but declined to immediately explain the contents further.
The six pipe bombs anonymously sent to the addresses of prominent Democrats across the United States yesterday each had matching characteristics, law enforcement officials revealed last night.
All were similar to an explosive device found earlier this week at the home of billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
The crude devices were contrived of PVC tubing attached to a digital clock, available for purchase on Amazon. They included sulfur as explosives and shards of glass as shrapnel.
X-ray images obtained by ABC News provide a more detailed look at the explosive devices that also include a battery as well as wiring to initiate an explosion.
Officials suspect a serial bomber likely with an intent to kill is behind the rash of homemade explosives sent in the mail this week.
An FBI official condemned what he said appeared to be an attempt to further political aims.
Secret Service agents revealed earlier Wednesday they had intercepted two explosives en route to former President Obama’s Washington D.C. home and Hillary and Bill Clinton’s property in Chappaqua, New York.
A short time later, a police bomb squad was sent to CNN’s offices in New York City and the newsroom was evacuated because of a pipe bomb found in an envelope addressed to former CIA director John Brennan.
The three devices targeting Obama, the Clintons and CNN were similar to the small pipe bomb found at liberal billionaire donor George Soros’ New York home on Monday and appear to have been sent by the same person, NYPD’s chief of counterterrorism said.
The FBI said the packages were mailed in manilla envelopes with bubble wrap interior. The packages were affixed with computer-printed address labels and six stamps bearing the Stars and Stripes. All packages had the return address of former DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida.
The explosive device intended for Holder was returned to her Florida office – also sparking an evacuation there on Wednesday afternoon.
All of those targeted are among Trump’s biggest political enemies and have been subjected to his ire on Twitter.
The White House also called the attacks as ‘despicable’, while officials described the events as a coordinated ‘effort to terrorize’ just days before polarizing US elections.
‘This clearly is an act of terror attempting to undermine our free press and leaders of this country through acts of violence,’ New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference.
The FBI has warned that other packages could also have been mailed and said they were working with multiple agencies to track down the person responsible.
The packages sent to the Clintons and Obama were discovered during routine mail screenings and were intercepted prior to being delivered to Clinton and Obama.
Bill Clinton was at the family’s home at the time the package was intercepted, while Hillary was attending campaign events for Democrats in Florida.
CNN evacuated its New York bureau Wednesday after the pipe bomb together with an envelope containing white powder was found in the mail room of the Time Warner Center where their bureau is located,
The packaging was addressed care of CNN to former CIA director John Brennan, who doesn’t work for the network but is an MSNBC contributor. An evacuation alarm went off as CNN anchors were live on air reporting on the packages sent to Obama and Clinton.
The bomb was constructed with a metal pipe, wires and black tape, according to police. The device found at CNN was removed by the NYPD bomb squad and taken away for investigation.
A suspicious package addressed to Democratic California congresswoman Maxine Waters was intercepted by Capitol Police Wednesday afternoon.