Cesar Sayoc: Mail bomber makes first court appearance as new package intercepted on way to CNN

Shackled and wearing a beige jumpsuit, the man accused of sending at least 14 pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and critics of Donald Trump 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 more than 100 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 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 the president. 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.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and California Senator Kamala Harris, were also the intended recipients of packages.

The mailing of the packages has once again highlighted political polarisation in the US. Mr Trump condemned the attempted attacks, but also appeared to blame the news media for fostering a political climate that encouraged violence.

While blaming the media for that political climate, the president has also routinely called journalists the “enemy of the people”.

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.

None of the pipe bombs detonated after delivery, or after interception.

Mr Sayoc is expected to be transferred from custody in south Florida to New York, where many of the packages were received. Once there, he is expected to stand trial on the charges that were read to him on Monday afternoon.