The Federal Bureau of Investigation has revealed that a brother and sister from China are indicted in connection with an improvised explosive device (IED) placed at the base that serves as headquarters for U.S. Central Command, which is currently executing the Iran operation.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted his announcement on X Thursday, March 26. “An IED was placed at MacDill Air Force Base - home to CENTCOM and U.S. Special Operations Command,” Patel explained. “A brother and sister have now been indicted.” One of the suspects is in a foreign and hostile country, however, so he cannot be arrested at present.
Patel added, “One is in custody for accessory and evidence tampering and the primary suspect is charged with explosives offenses and is currently in China. This FBI, working with our partners, will continue pursuing all those responsible and ensure they are brought to justice, no matter where they are.”
FBI Tampa arrested Ann Mary Zheng, the sister, and charged her with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence. If convicted, she faces a jail sentence of up to 30 years. She either hid or damaged a Mercedes-Benz car to prevent authorities from using it as evidence in legal proceedings, according to the Fox News report shared by Patel.
Besides Ann Mary, her mother is also in custody, held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after she reportedly confessed to investigators that her son said he was guilty of the IED plot.
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Fox News explained that the main suspect, the one believed to have planted the device, is Alen Zheng, who fled the United States for Communist China.
He is facing charges of attempted damage to government property by fire or explosion, unlawful making of a destructive device and possession of an unregistered destructive device, which carry a potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison…Prosecutors allege that on March 11, the day after the bomb was planted, the siblings attempted to cover their tracks by selling the vehicle to car dealer CarMax. Despite being vacuumed and cleaned, investigators later discovered trace explosive residue inside the vehicle.
U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Greg Kehoe held a news conference Thursday to discuss the newly unsealed charges against the Zhengs. Kehoe accused Alen Zheng of planting an IED in a "secluded" spot next to MacDill Air Force Base's visitor center, a few minutes after which Zheng called 911, saying vaguely that a bomb was planted without specifying where.
Fortunately, the IED failed to detonate, but could have been "very deadly" had it done so, officials believe. An airman discovered the IED on March 16, almost a week later. The FBI analyzed the device at its Huntsville, Ala., lab.
Oddly enough, while Ann Mary Zheng initially went to China with her brother, she returned to the U.S. on March 17, when authorities arrested her. The mother is under investigation not only in connection with the plot but with an overstayed visa. While officials have not officially confirmed the Zhengs have ties to the Chinese Communist Party, Kehoe said they "obviously felt quite strongly about something or anything that the United States government was doing.” He also noted, “Anytime somebody puts an IED together — and I spent a lot of time in Iraq and I saw a lot of IEDs — there always is a level of professionalism.”
The FBI continues to investigate the case. Perhaps Donald Trump should bring this incident up with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping when they meet.
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