Cesar Sayoc, Jr, the registered Republican who mailed 13 pipe bombs to arch critics of his "spiritual father," president Donald Trump, has been charged with five federal crimes, none of which directly have to do with terrorism.
Sayoc was arrested by the FBI at his home address at Aventura, Florida on Oct. 26. He was arrested after an intensive nationwide manhunt that began Oct. 23 when former president Bill Clinton received a pipe bomb inside a manila envelope sent to him by mail. The pipe bomb was intercepted by U.S. Secret Service agents protecting Clinton and his family.
Sayoc later mailed pipe bombs to prominent leaders of the Democratic Party often criticized by Trump, as well as vociferous Trump critics.
He also sent pipe bombs to former President Barack Obama; former Vice President Joe Biden; Rep. Kamala Harris; Sen. Cory Booker; Rep. Maxine Waters; Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz; former Attorney General Eric Holder; former CIA Chief and MSNBC news analyst John Brennan; former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper; actor Robert De Niro and George Soros and Tom Steyer (billionaire supporters of the Democrats).
Police warned other bombs mailed by Sayoc might still be in transit and urged Democrats and their supporters to be wary of large mailed packets.
None of the pipe bombs exploded, however. Sayoc told the FBI his "pipe bombs wouldn't have hurt anyone and that he didn't want to hurt anyone."
Inexplicably, Sayoc was only charged with five federal crimes: illegal mailing of explosives; threats against former presidents and certain other persons; interstate transportation of an explosive; threatening interstate communications and assaulting federal officers.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions described the mailed pipe bombs as "political violence," which is a common way of describing terrorism. Sayoc, however, wasn't charged with terrorism.
This omission led some Trump critics to note that if Sayoc were Muslim, he would have been charged with terrorism straight away. Legal analysts, however, noted that in the United States, the most frequently used terrorism-related charge is providing "material support" to a foreign terrorist organization.
Other legal experts said that whether or not a suspect gets formal terrorism charges, the U.S. justice system still allows for harsh punishment. Sessions said that if convicted, Sayoc will face up to 50 years in prison.
Sayoc fits the profile of American terrorists like Timothy McVeigh, the infamous Oklahoma City bomber. Experts explained modern terrorism in the U.S. is largely a home-grown phenomenon.
Sayoc was born in New York City. His biological father is a Filipino while his mother, Madeline Altieri, is an Italian-American. His parents separated when Sayoc was a young boy. After his parents separated, Sayoc was rejected by his family, said a family member.
Sayoc, an ardent supporter of Trump, has since been labeled the "MAGA Bomber." MAGA is the acronym for Trump's 2016 campaign slogan, Make America Great Again. Sayoc sent a social media birthday greeting to Trump, calling the latter the greatest U.S. president ever.
A registered Republican, Sayoc is a wholehearted Trump supporter, tweeting and posting Facebook videos that show him at the president's rallies. One post even shows him holding up a sign saying "CNN Sucks," which is one of Trump's favorite slogans.
Sayoc is a racist and is "crazed, that's the best word for him," said Debra Gureghian, general manager of New River Pizza and Fresh Kitchen in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where Sayoc worked as a delivery man. "There was something really off with him."
He drove a white van festooned with violent images, said Gureghian. She said inside Sayoc's van were puppets with their heads cut off. There were also mannequins with their heads cut off; Ku Klux Klan symbols; a black man being hung; anti-gay symbols; torching and bombings. Sayoc lived out of this van since he was homeless.
The exterior of the van also displayed violent images directed against Democrats, as well. It's covered in pro-Trump and anti-Hillary Clinton stickers. There are also stickers insulting CNN.
There are pictures of Hillary Clinton, CNN's Van Jones, filmmaker Michael Moore, and Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. All these persons have red targets or crosshairs over their images. An image of Obama riding a motorcycle has a target on it. Another window has loving images about Trump that read, "My President."
