Cesar Sayoc, the Florida man who was arrested last month on five charges for allegedly mailing packages with pipe bombs to a variety of Democratic figures, has been indicted on charges accusing him of using weapons of mass destruction.
According to the Justice Department, Sayoc faces a 30-count indictment in a Manhattan federal court for attempting to “kill, injure and intimidate an individual and unlawfully to damage and destroy a building, vehicle, and other real and person property.”
More than a dozen individuals were sent pipe bombs in manila envelopes, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Joe Biden, and others last month. Sayoc was initially charged with interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, and threatening former presidents, among other things.
In the package sent to Clinton, a photo of her and her family was included with a red “X” drawn over it, according to prosecutors. However, none of the pipe bombs sent to any of the Sayoc’s alleged targets detonated.
At the time of his arrest, Sayoc had been living in a van decorated with images supporting President Trump, in addition to images with crosshairs covering Obama and Clinton. Sayoc’s cellphone was in his possession when he was arrested, and the Justice Department claims he used the device to search “hilary Clinton hime address” and “address for barack Obama,” along with the addresses of other Democratic political figures.
“Sayoc’s alleged conduct put numerous lives at risk,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said in a statement. “It was also an assault on a nation that values the rule of law, a free press, and tolerance of differences without rancor or resort to violence.”
It’s uncertain when he will be arraigned, but if convicted, he could remain behind bars for the rest of his life. The maximum penalty for using a weapon of mass destruction is a life sentence.
