FIEND’S HIT LIST
Feds: Sayoc had slew of targets; bomb found in Ga.
The right-wing zealot accused of sending explosive devices to more than a dozen prominent Democrats had hundreds more on his list that he was planning to target with package bombs, authorities said.
Politicians, entertainers and journalists were all on Cesar Sayoc’s hit list in addition to the 14 people, including one at CNN’s New York office, who received pipe bombs in manila envelopes last week.
Law enforcement will be visiting those people to notify them, officials said.
Meanwhile, CNN President Jeff Zucker said Monday that “another suspicious package addressed to CNN was intercepted at an Atlanta post office.”
The second CNN package appeared to be similar to the ones Sayoc was charged with sending last week to former President Barack Obama, actor Robert De Niro, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and billionaire philanthropist George Soros, among others.
Zucker said all mail sent to CNN offices across the country has been screened off-site since Wednesday, when the package was discovered at CNN’s Columbus Circle location.
Officials said Sayoc was still sending out devices before he was busted Friday. Some may still be in the mail. Investigators used a fingerprint from one of the envelopes to track the suspect down, then used a cell phone signal to pinpoint Sayoc’s location. Authorities had gotten his phone number from a Florida mail facility.
Sayoc, 56, a strip club DJ and pizza delivery man, was taken into custody Friday morning at an AutoZone parts outlet in South Florida.
He was apparently living out of his van, which was plastered with pro-Trump stickers and decals denouncing prominent Democrats.
Authorities, who found a printer, stamps, paper, an unidentified powder and soldering equipment in the van, said Sayoc was likely living in the van and may have used it to build the bombs.
Though none of the bombs exploded, the FBI insisted they were real.
Sayoc was to be arraigned Monday afternoon in Miami on charges that include interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former Presidents and certain other persons, threatening interstate communications and assaulting current and former federal officers.
But a pretrial hearing was delayed until Friday.
One of Sayoc’s attorneys, Daniel Aaronson, urged the public not to rush to judgment based on media reports.
“Right now, we know very, very, very little,” 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.”
Sayoc was handcuffed at the wrists and shackled at the ankles, and was wearing a tan jail jumpsuit. He spoke only to say his name.