The number of liberal figures across the country known to have been sent suspicious packages, many with pipe bombs, this week went up on Friday.

None of the devices detonated, unless by authorities, and there have been no injuries or deaths as a result of the packages, but the scare has shaken both the political world and the media.

Note: This blog is not being updated.

DOJ confirms one arrested

The Justice Department confirmed reports of an arrest in the case Friday morning.

“We can confirm one person is in custody,” a spokesperson for the DOJ tweeted Friday morning.

She also announced that the DOJ would hold a press conference on the matter at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

Other reports note the arrest was in Plantation, Fla., a suburb of Miami.

Sessions cancels trip for investigation

Attorney General Jeff Sessions canceled at trip to Kentucky as federal law enforcement works to catch the person or persons involved in the pipe bomb mailings.

Speaking at at event in Washington, Sessions said that the Justice Department, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Secret Service, and state and local law enforcement partners “are working tirelessly to follow every lead.”

“I can assure you that we are dedicating every available resource to this effort. I am receiving frequent updates from Director Wray and his team. And I can tell you this: we will find the person or persons responsible. We will bring them to justice,” said Sessions.

No information about the possible suspect or suspects has yet been made public.

Trump blames scare for slowing midterms momentum

President Trump claimed Friday that the scare is slowing Republican momentum ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm elections as news coverage focuses on the bombs sent to high-profile Democrats.

“Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this ‘Bomb’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows - news not talking politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!” the president tweeted.

Clapper, Booker also targeted

Suspicious packages were sent to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., bringing the total number of such packages identified up to 12.

The FBI announced Friday that a package had been detected in Florida addressed to Booker, a development that comes after CNN reported that investigators had determined that at least several of the packages had been processed at a Florida U.S. Postal Service facility north of Miami.

The Associated Press also reports that a suspicious package was addressed to Clapper at CNN’s New York City office. The package was intercepted at a New York City post office.

Packages mailed from Florida

Investigators have determined that at least several of the suspicious packages that have been sent to locations across the U.S. this week were handled by a U.S. Postal Service facility in Opa-locka, Florida, just north of Miami, according to CNN.

Suspected bombs are duds?

Some of the devices found in suspicious packages sent to high-profile Democrats are flawed and incapable of exploding, investigators have found.

Not all 10 of the suspected bombs have been fully analyzed, however, as NBC New York reports. A joint New York Police Department-FBI briefing on the matter is expected later in the day.

Newt Gingrich defends Trump

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Thursday that the media have “earned” President Trump’s label of “the enemy of the people.”

Sessions condemns, briefed Trump

Attorney General Jeff Sessions condemned the attempted pipe bomb attacks Thursday morning “in the strongest possible terms” and promised justice for the person or persons responsible.

Speaking at an opioids event at the Justice Department, Sessions said that he briefed President Trump on Wednesday, along with FBI Director Christopher Wray and FBI Deputy Director Bowdich, but did not provide any other details.

Sanders calls CNN chief Jeff Zucker's remarks "disgraceful"

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday it was "disgraceful" for CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker to blame President Trump for the series of bomb scares that threatened Trump's political opponents this week.

"I think it is absolutely disgraceful that one of the first public statements we heard from CNN yesterday was to put the blame and the responsibility of this despicable act on the president and on me personally," Sanders said on Fox News. "I find that disgraceful that that was one of the first statements is that they made this and tried to put the blame on the president."

CNN's New York office was evacuated after a suspicious package was sent there for former CIA Director John Brennan.

Zucker said in a statement that Trump's White House bore some responsibility for the packages because of his inflammatory rhetoric against the media.

"There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media," Zucker said. "The President, and especially the White House Press Secretary, should understand their words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that."

Brennan to Trump: "Act presidential"

Former CIA Director John Brennan, who was sent a suspicious package with a potentially explosive device, fired back Thursday at President Trump’s attack on the media, calling for him to “act presidential” instead of encouraging physical violence with his rhetoric.

“Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror. Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful. Clean up your act....try to act Presidential. The American people deserve much better,” Brennan posted to Twitter Thursday morning. “BTW, your critics will not be intimidated into silence.”

A suspicious package containing a potentially explosive device was addressed to Brennan and arrived at CNN offices in New York City Wednesday morning, causing the building to be evacuated.

Confirmed: Biden sent a package too

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday became the ninth target in a string of suspicious packages that have been sent to prominent Democrats.

Federal authorities confirmed that a new suspicious package was found at a facility in New Castle, Del., that was addressed to Biden. The package was consistent with the other eight that were sent to other Democrats this week.

“Federal authorities confirm another suspicious package was sent to former Vice President Joe Biden,” CBS reported. “The package, which is consistent with the other ones sent to Democrats and CNN offices, was found at a facility in New Castle, Delaware."

A second package sent to Biden was indicated by the FBI.

“FBI Special Agents and local law enforcement are responding this morning to a United States Postal facility in Wilmington, Delaware to conduct law enforcement activity," said an FBI spokesperson. "No further details will be released at this time concerning the nature of the investigation."

Bomb scare extends into Thursday: NYPD investigate package sent to De Niro

New York police investigated a suspicious package Thursday morning addressed to actor Robert De Niro in lower Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood.

The package is reportedly similar to other devices sent to several Trump foes Wednesday. Former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were among the targets of the explosives, along with former CIA Director John Brennan.

The address where the new device was left, 375 Greenwich St., matches that of De Niro's Tribeca Film Center. De Niro, a vocal critic of Trump who recently told an audience, "fuck Trump," is the founder of the center.

FBI adds to its list

The FBI announced Wednesday evening that it was adding two suspicious packages addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., to an earlier list because they are similar in appearance to the five. That would made seven in all.

These packages, which contained potentially destructive devices, came in the form of manila envelopes with bubble wrap interior, and were also sent to former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, ex-CIA Director John Brennan, and liberal billionaire George Soros.

"The packages were affixed with computer-printed address labels and six Forever stamps," the FBI said in its prior statement. "All packages had a return address of “DEBBIE WASSERMAN SHULTZ” [sic] in Florida," the agency added, referring to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.

Shards of glass

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press the makeshift pipe bombs were packed with powder and shards of glass.

The official, who was not authorized to comment on the investigation, said the six-inch-long devices were made of PVC pipe, covered with tape, and had a small battery.

Experts had previously told the AP that there will likely be forensic clues left in the devices that could lead to the bomber.

Biden too?

Law enforcement officials are reportedly seeking out a package addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden because of similarities it had to suspicious packages sent to a number of other Democratic officials this week.

CNN's Jim Sciutto cited two law enforcement officials with the development Wednesday evening.

NBC News contributing correspondent Jonathan Dienst said on MSNBC that law enforcement officials are concerned that a potential package addressed to Biden was sent to the wrong address and therefore shipped to an office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida because that address appeared on the return label. He added that information from that U.S. Postal Service indicated that the package is out somewhere.

LA postal facility evacuated

A postal facility in Los Angeles was evacuated Wednesday after a “suspicious package” was found, the second one discovered addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

L.A. Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene and plan to deploy a robot to examine the package, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Photos of suspected bombs

ABC News shared photos of the suspected explosive devices sent to locations in New York and Washington, D.C.

They are being investigated by the FBI at the a lab in Quantico, Va.

Double security in NY

After suspicious packages were found in multiple locations in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday evening that state law enforcement would double their numbers at bridges, tunnels, airports and mass transit systems.

"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," Cuomo said. "The bridges and tunnels include the Staten Island crossings, the George Washington, RFK, Verrazzano-Narrows, Bronx-Whitestone, Throgs Neck, Henry Hudson, Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial, Cross Bay Veterans Memorial and Mario M. Cuomo Bridges and the Lincoln, Holland, Hugh L. Carey and Queens Midtown Tunnels."

FBI statement

The FBI said suspicious packages intercepted in New York, Washington, D.C., and Florida are being analyzed at the FBI Laboratory in Virginia, and noted that the investigation is of the “highest priority” to the agency.

“This investigation is of the highest priority for the FBI. We have committed the full strength of the FBI’s resources and, together with our partners on our Joint Terrorism Task Forces, we will continue to work to identify and arrest whoever is responsible for sending these packages,” FBI Director Chris Wray said in a statement Wednesday. “We ask anyone who may have information to contact the FBI. Do not hesitate to call; no piece of information is too small to help us in this investigation.”

The FBI confirmed that packages were sent addressed to:

  • George Soros
  • Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
  • Former President Barack Obama
  • Former CIA Director John Brennan, care of CNN
  • Former Attorney General Eric Holder

The FBI said all the packages had a return address of “DEBBIE WASSERMAN SHULTZ” [sic] in Florida.

The FBI said that there may be other packages that were issued to other locations, and that the agency will keep working alongside other law enforcement agencies to identify and arrest those who sent the packages.

Dem leaders take aim at Trump

In a joint statement Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., condemned President Trump's reaction to the suspicious packages sent to Democrats throughout the country.

"President Trump's words ring hollow until he reverses his statements that condone acts of violence," they said, referring to the president's past rhetoric against his political rivals and the media.


CNN boss snipes at Trump

CNN's chief took a shot at President Trump and the White House for their reaction to the bomb scares this week, which included a suspicious package found at CNN's offices in New York City.

"There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media," CNN president Jeff Zucker said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "The President, and especially the White House Press Secretary, should understand their words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that."

Earlier in the day, Trump, who regularly derides outlets as "fake news," said: “We will spare no resources or expense in this effort, and I just want to tell you that in these times we have to unify, we have to come together and send one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America."

CNN offices in NYC reopen

At 3:41 p.m., CNN's Jim Sciutto announced that CNN's New York offices had re-opened, about five and a half hours after they were evacuated due to a suspicious package.


Another suspicious package found at second Wasserman Schultz office in Florida

Law enforcement officials said Wednesday afternoon they were investigating another suspicious package at a second office for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

The police department in Aventura, Fla., tweeted that they are investigating a suspicious package that was delivered to the local government center and urged people to stay away.


Earlier in the day, a suspicious package was found about 20 miles north outside the Sunrise, Fla., district office of Wasserman Schultz, prompting evacuations.

DC Police

The D.C. Police Department tweeted out a request for assistance in spotting "suspicious activity" on Wednesday.

"Multiple packages containing possible explosive devices, similar to the one pictured below, have been located in NY & DC," the tweet said. "If you see any suspicious activity similar to these incidents, please do not hesitate to call 911."

The tweet also included a photo of a manila envelope package with blurred out send and return addresses.

Cuomo false alarm

The New York Police Department said Wednesday afternoon that no device was found at the Manhattan office of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying that a previously reported suspicious package found there was cleared and "unrelated."

"The earlier suspicious package at Governor Cuomo’s office in midtown has been cleared by NYPD personnel. It was unrelated. And there was no device of any kind," said J. Peter Donald, a spokesperson for the NYPD, in a tweet.

Cuomo had said at a press conference earlier Wednesday that there was a device sent to his Manhattan office after the Secret Service announced that explosive devices had been sent to former President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The governor had said the situation was "being handled" by authorities.

Op-ed from George Soros’ son

Liberal billionaire George Soros’ son claimed that the “hatred” his father has experienced is not unique to his family and that “too many” people have been subjected to “the force of this malign spirit,” comments that come after explosive devices and suspicious packages were sent to his father and others.

In an op-ed published in the New York Times on Wednesday, Alexander Soros said that those who sent the devices were ultimately responsible, but noted “I cannot see it divorced from the new normal of political demonization that plagues us today.”

“We must find our way to a new political discourse that shuns the demonization of all political opponents. A first step would be to cast our ballots to reject those politicians cynically responsible for undermining the institutions of our democracy,” Soros wrote. “And we must do it now, before it is too late.”

POTUS speaks out on bomb scare:

President Trump said the “full weight” of the U.S. government is being deployed to investigate the suspicious devices and packages.

At a White House event on the opioids crisis on Wednesday, he also made a call for unity amid such “despicable acts.”

“We will spare no resources or expense in this effort, and I just want to tell you that in these times we have to unify, we have to come together and send one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America,” Trump said.

Melania Trump responds:

“I want to take a moment to talk about today’s news and the attempted attacks on President Clinton, President Obama, their families, public officials, individuals and organizations. We cannot tolerate those cowardly attacks and I strongly condemn all who choose violence," Trump said at the start of a White House event on the opioids crisis on Wednesday

“I’m grateful to the Secret Service as well as the federal and local law enforcement for all they do on a daily basis to keep us safe and encourage people across the country to choose kindness over hatred," she added.

Photos and misspells

Journalists from CNN and ABC News tweeted out photos Wednesday afternoon of the suspicious package sent to CNN's offices in New York.

The manila envelope addressed to ex-CIA Director John Brennan misspelled his name as well as the name of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is listed on the return label.


Maxine Waters

U.S. Capitol Police are reportedly examining at least one suspicious package that was discovered at a congressional mail sorting facility.

A Capitol Police bomb squad has responded to the incident at the facility, located in Maryland.

ABC News reports that the package was addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who received death threats this summer after urging liberals to confront members of the Trump administration in public settings.

U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.

Trump “agrees wholeheartedly” with VP’s condemnation of attacks

President Trump weighed in on the news of potentially explosive devices being mailed to high-profile Democrats and media members by retweeting his Vice President

In his tweet, Vice President Mike Pence condemned the targeted attacks, saying “these cowardly actions are despicable & have no place in this Country.”

Pence pledged that the individuals responsible for the attacks will be brought to justice.

Trump retweeted Pence’s tweet saying “I agree wholeheartedly!”

The retweet has been Trump’s only public statement on the incidents so far.

New York Times

The New York Times told CNBC it had not received any suspicious mail Wednesday. However, in a company memo, the news organization said it would be taking additional precautions regarding mail delivery.

“Here at The Times, all incoming mail, including United States Postal Service, FedEx and UPS, in New York and in the Washington bureau, is sent through an X-ray machine before it is delivered,” the memo said.

“We’re now taking the additional step of sending anything delivered directly to the lobby security desk to the X-ray machines before delivery, and we will continue to be hypervigilant in the days ahead.”

NYC press conference

NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon that the device found at the Time Warner Center, where CNN has its offices in New York, "appeared to be a live explosive device" and police also recovered a letter with a white powder.

Joe Scarborough tweets @ Ivanka Trump

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough suggested President Trump's anti-CNN rhetoric may be responsible for an apparent bomb threat the network faced on Wednesday.

Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and a White House adviser, said in a tweet that she "strongly" condemned the suspicious package delivered to CNN's New York headquarters that day.

Scarborough replied to the tweet, "Do you strongly condemn your father using the presidential bully pulpit and years of campaign rallies to constantly stir up hatred against CNN, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama?"

Hillary Clinton reacts

Hillary Clinton responded to the news at a campaign event in Florida on Wednesday:

"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. Every day we are grateful for their service and commitment, and obviously never more than today,” Clinton said.

“But it is a troubling time, isn’t it? And it’s a time of deep divisions and we have to do everything we can to bring our country together. We also have to elect candidates who will try to do the same,” she said.

Eric Holder

A suspicious package was sent to former Attorney General Eric Holder, but law enforcement sources tell CNN that the package had the wrong address and was sent to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s office in Florida because that address was on the return label.

Kamala Harris office in San Diego

An office building in San Diego that houses the San Diego Union-Tribune and Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris’ headquarters was briefly evacuated following the discovery of a suspicious package.

San Diego police officer Billy Hernandez said that several boxes had been reported by a police lieutenant around 8:15 a.m. local time and the San Diego Police Department announced that the immediate area has been blocked off.

However, later the San Diego police said they found the packages contained only a random assortments of items near the front doors.

"Our office was evacuated today after suspicious packages were found near the building. The packages were not addressed to the Senator or our office. We are grateful to the San Diego Police Department for their work to swiftly investigate this issue," Lily Adams, a spokesperson for Harris, said on Twitter.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz office in Florida

A suspicious package found Wednesday outside the Sunrise, Fla., district office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is being investigated by police.

“Yes, I can confirm there’s a suspicious package and we’re handling it right now.” Broward Sheriff Scott Israel told the Miami Herald.

The area has been evacuated. No other information has been disclosed yet, as Sunrise Police Department and Wasserman Schultz’s staff have not provided comment.

It's unclear if the package is the same one that was intended for former Attorney General Eric Holder, which law enforcement officials say was sent to the wrong addressed and then sent to Wasserman Schultz's office because that address was on the return label.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene.

False alarm for White House

CNN initially reported Wednesday morning that another suspicious package had been sent to the White House.

However, the Secret Service announced on Twitter that this was incorrect.

Ex-Clinton aides blame Trump, GOP

Former aides to Hillary Clinton blamed President Trump and Republicans for the explosive devices mailed to Clinton and former President Barack Obama.

In a tweet directed at Trump, Philippe Reines told the president, “This is on you.”

Peter Daou, who worked on Clinton’s 2008 campaign, blamed Republicans for “the destruction of our democracy.”

“YOU OWN THIS,” he tweeted.

CNN office in NYC and John Brennan

A suspicious package sent to CNN’s New York offices prompted an evacuation on Wednesday.

CNN reported that it was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan.

Brennan, a former Obama administration official who has been critical of President Trump, has appeared as a guest on the network but is not employed by CNN. He is a commentator for MSNBC and NBC.

The device was found in the CNN mailroom and is similar to the suspicious packages addressed to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and George Soros, a law enforcement source told the network.

CNN President Jeff Zucker said in a note to employees shortly after 12 p.m. that the device had been removed from the Time Warner Center, where CNN is located.

The New York Police Department is “currently doing another sweep of the building, and will update us once that is done," Zucker said.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene.

The Clintons and Obama

Explosive devices were mailed to both former President Barack Obama and the Clintons.

The package sent to the Clinton home in Chappaqua, N.Y., was found nearby overnight Wednesday and was identified as containing an improvised explosive device.

A separate package also carrying a potentially explosive device was sent to the office of Obama, but was intercepted by the Secret Service in Washington, D.C.

The FBI and Secret Service are investigating.

In a statement, the Secret Service said neither Clinton nor Obama received the packages “nor were they at risk of receiving them.”

In a tweet, The FBI declined comment, citing an "ongoing investigation."

George Soros

An explosive device was found near the home of liberal billionaire George Soros in Katonah, N.Y., in Westchester County, at the start of the week.

Authorities said they believe that device, which was described as a pipe bomb, was left outside Soros' home and not delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.

The device detected Monday was “proactively detonated” by bomb squad technicians, a law enforcement official told the New York Times.