Cesar Sayoc in court: Pipe bomb suspect allegedly 'had list of people in hundreds' to send packages to as another intercepted in Atlanta
Mr Sayoc has been accused of mailing 14 pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and critics of the president
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Your support makes all the difference.Shackled and wearing a beige jumpsuit, the man accused of sending at least 14 pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and critics of the president has been formally charged with five federal crimes in a Miami courtroom.
The first court appearance of Cesar Sayoc, 56, came just hours after a 15th suspicious package was intercepted in Atlanta on its way to the CNN headquarters - what may have been the last in a series the suspect was able to mail from a list of, reportedly, hundreds of potential targets.
In response to that package, CNN president Jeff Zucker said all domestic mail had been screened at off-site locations since last week, when it received two other packages addressed to the network's contributors, and bomb squads were called in to the Atlanta post office where the package was detected.
Mr Sayoc had salt and pepper hair pulled back into a ponytail during his appearance, and remained mostly silent during his appearance. His three lawyers attempted to stand in a manner that obscured the view of news reporters and photographers from their client.
During the hearing — where Mr Sayoc was read the charges against him, his rights, and informed that he would be held without bail — the former male stripper and part time pizza delivery man, reacted audibly only when the charges were read by Judge Edwin Torres.
He also reportedly had tears in his eyes during the hearing, where he was read the following charges: interstate transportation and illegal mailing of explosives, threatening a former president, making threatening interstate communications and assaulting federal officers.
Authorities arrested Mr Sayoc on Friday after a frantic search for the man who they say mailed at least 14 pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and critics of Donald Trump. Packages were addressed to individuals including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Joe Biden, billionaire donor George Soros, Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and California Representative Maxine Waters.
The tension created by the mailed pipe bombs was further ratcheted up over the weekend, after a gunman opened fire in a Pittsburgh synagogue. Eleven worshippers were killed during that attack, and the gunman yelled “All Jews must die”.
The pipe bombs also came roughly two weeks before the US midterm elections, which are widely seen as a referendum on Mr Trump’s first two years in office.
The president, sensing that the pipe bombs were distracting voters from political matters, tweeted those concerns — suggesting that the various attempted attacks on top American politicians could cost Republicans at the polls next month.
To follow how the day unfolded, see our live coverage below - please allow a moment for it to load
Federal prosecutors want no bail for a man accused of sending pipe bombs to prominent Democrats around the country.
Prosecutors said at the initial court hearing Monday for 56-year-old Cesar Sayoc that they believe he is a risk of flight and a danger to the community. A judge will hold a hearing Friday on whether Mr Sayoc can be released on bail.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is accusing the media of wrongly blaming President Donald Trump for a mail bomb plot and a deadly weekend shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
She said at a briefing that the first thing the president did was condemn the attacks and the first thing the media did was blame the president. Trump critics have said the president's harsh partisan rhetoric has fueled such attacks.
Ms Sanders told reporters that people should place the responsibility for the two attacks on the individuals responsible.
One of Mr Sayoc's attorneys, Daniel Aaronson, urged people not to rush to judgment based on media reports.
"Right now, we know very, very, very little," Mr Aaronson said of the case. "We do not know all the evidence the government has. You have to keep in mind he has not been found guilty of anything."
Here is our latest report on the court hearing and the package found earlier:
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