Former Vice President Joe Biden appears be among the several Democrats and prominent critics of President Trump targeted by a pipe bomb this week.Authorities said Thursday morning that they had intercepted two suspicious packages, which were both addressed to Biden, at separate Delaware mail facilities. Citing law enforcement sources, both the New York Times and the AP report the packages sent to Biden were similar to the pipe bombs discovered earlier this week and contained in typed manilla envelopes listing Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s office as the return address.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed in a statement to VICE News that special agents and local law enforcement were responding to postal facilities in Wilmington and New Castle County, but declined to elaborate, saying, “no further details will be released at this time concerning the nature of the investigation." In a subsequent tweet, however, the agency confirmed bombs had been sent to Biden and Robert de Niro.
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Over the past week, at least 10 bombs were also mailed or delivered to prominent Trump critics like Bill and Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, liberal mega-donor George Soros, actor Robert De Niro, former CIA Director John Brennan by way of CNN, Rep. Maxine Waters, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, though it’s not clear she was the target. According to law enforcement, the envelope delivered to her address had been incorrectly addressed to former Attorney General Eric Holder and directed to her office because it was listed as a return address.Police are also investigating a suspicious package at a mail facility near Downtown Los Angeles, according to CBS News.
It’s still unclear who’s behind what the NYPD’s head of counterterrorism referred to Wednesday as a terror attack. The string of packages began arriving on Monday, when a caretaker for Soros’ New York home discovered the first explosive device left in a mailbox outside Soros' Katonah home.
John Miller, the head of the New York Police Department’s counterterrorism unit, confirmed Wednesday that the bombs sent to Brennan, Obama, Clinton and Soros appeared to be sent by the same person. Images of the bombs sent to Biden and CNN also reveal similar packaging.Trump, who called for unity and condemned the attacks on Wednesday, resorted to blaming the media early Thursday morning as news of two new bombs broke.The package addressed to Brennan was sent to the New York City office of CNN, one of Trump’s favorite targets, forcing the entire building to evacuate while a bomb team removed the bomb.
Cover image: Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally held at the University of South Florida Campus Recreation Building on October 22, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. The rally was held to support U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum as they run against their Republican opponents. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)