Suspicious Package Cases Grow, Potential Explosive Devices Sent to Prominent Democrats
Secret Service identifies other packages as potential explosives
Updated 2:30 p.m. | Capitol Police are investigating a suspicious package at a House of Representatives mail processing facility in Maryland, following a string of suspected explosive devices sent to prominent Democrats. An explosive ordnance team was dispatched to the Capitol Heights, Maryland facility.
Earlier Wednesday, suspicious packages were sent to the homes of the Clintons and Obamas and CNN’s headquarters. Democratic donor George Soros had a similar package sent to him this week. The packages sent to former President Barack Obama and the Clintons were intercepted by the Secret Service during routine mail screening procedures. The packages were identified to be potential explosive devices, according to a Secret Service statement.
Police are also investigating a suspicious package sent to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Sunrise, Florida. The Sunrise Police Department is leading the investigation into the package received by Wasserman Schultz, with support from the Broward County Sheriff’s department.
ALERT!!! We are working an investigation of a suspicious package near Sawgrass Corporate Parkway. Please stay out of the area of NW 8th St and NW 136th Ave. We will provide further updates when available.
— Sunrise Police FL (@SunrisePoliceFL) October 24, 2018
Overhead footage from local news stations showed a Broward Sheriff’s Office bomb squad unit and firefighters responding to the building.
The package sent to Wasserman Schultz was addressed to former Attorney General Eric Holder, but was not delivered due to a problem with the address. Wasserman Schultz was listed as the return address. The package was not delivered to Holder, but reached Wasserman Schultz’s office as a “return to sender.”
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said his office in Manhattan was among those that received an explosive device in the mail Wednesday. But a New York City police spokesperson said the suspicious package sent to Cuomo’s office was not a bomb and was unrelated to other devices found Wednesday.
City blocks were shut down in San Diego after suspicious packages were identified in front of a building that houses both Sen. Kamala Harris’ state office and the San Diego Union-Tribune newsroom.
A spokeswoman for Harris said that the senator was not the target of the package in San Diego.
“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,” Communications Director Lily Adams said.
This is a developing story.
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