Suspicious packages addressed to Sen. Kamala Harris, Tom Steyer rendered safe
BURLINGAME, Calif. - Suspicious packages addressed to Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, and California billionaire Thomas Steyer have both been rendered safe after being intercepted today at mail facilities in Burlingame and Sacramento.
The package addressed to Steyer, who has been actively working to impeach President Donald Trump, was intercepted at a San Francisco Bay Area post office, his office confirmed.
Sen. Harris said that the FBI and other authorities in Sacramento were investigating suspicious package mailed to her. It was intercepted at the Colonial Post Office and rendered safe early Friday afternoon. The FBI confirmed at a news conference that agents believed hers was connected to the string of others.
"Our understanding is that a trained postal employee identified the package at a Sacramento mail facility and reported it to the authorities," Harris said in a statement. "Fortunately, nobody was injured. At this moment, it is incumbent upon leaders across the political spectrum to take seriously the power they hold. It is the responsibility of our leaders to use their role as public figures to elevate our discourse and bring people together.”
The discoveries came hours after authorities arrested a Cesar Sayoc, in Florida in connection with the bomb spree targeting Trump critics across the nation. At a news conference in Washington, FBI Director Christopher Way said his agents linked a latent fingerprint on device sent to Rep. Maxine Water to Sayoc. Wray said a total of 13 devices with "energetic material" were discovered across the country, made from clocks, batteries and wiring. He said there may be more packages out there. He did not mention Steyer's package specifically.
In a statement, Steyer's office confirmed he was a target, and that the package was found at a post office in Burlingame, Calif., about 30 miles from San Francisco.
"We're thankful that everyone we work with at NextGen America and Need to Impeach is safe -- that's always our first priority, and will continue to be our first priority," he wrote. "We are seeing a systematic attack on our democracy and our rule of law that extends much further than just one isolated terrorist in Florida. Whether it's voter suppression, voter intimidation, attacks on our free press, gerrymandering, or attempted violence -- the trust and norms that are the actual basis for our civil society and political system are being eroded. It's time for the Republican Party to denounce any attacks on the rights and dignity of any American and begin to work on building the broadest and most comprehensive democracy possible for each and every American."
Steyer was in San Francisco last October, calling from Trump's impeachment. Trump responded in a tweet that Steyer was "wacky and totally unhinged."
None of the explosives have gone off and no injuries were reported.
The San Francisco office of the FBI tweeted that their explosive technicians were on scene on Rollins Road after receiving reports of a suspicious package.
SkyFox flew overhead showing agents, including the ATF, surrounding the post office and dressed on bomb detonation suits.
US Postal spokesman Augustine Ruiz said that he's not sure exactly how the package got intercepted, but he did credit the workers: "Our employees are extremely vigilant," he said.
Ruiz added that postal workers across the U.S. have been on alert. "We took it seriously enough to re-engage our employees on safety protocols."