FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday that the agency and its partners will continue to pursue all people responsible for the placement of an improvised explosive device at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.
"This FBI, working with our partners, will continue pursuing all those responsible and ensure they are brought to justice, no matter where they are," Patel said Thursday in a post on X.
His comments come after reports that federal authorities indicted a brother and sister in connection with the incident.
"An IED was placed at MacDill Air Force Base, home to CENTCOM and U.S. Special Operations Command," Patel wrote.
"A brother and sister have now been indicted. One is in custody for accessory and evidence tampering and the primary suspect is charged with explosives offenses and is currently in China," he added.
Alen Zheng, the primary suspect, allegedly planted the device, according to investigators.
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.
Meanwhile, his sister, Ann Mary Zheng, was arrested by the FBI in Tampa, Florida.
She has been charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence.
Court documents allege she hid or damaged a 2010 Mercedes-Benz to prevent it from being used in legal proceedings.
The indictments were unsealed Thursday morning, and officials are expected to provide additional details at a news conference later in the day.
"Today's indictments are the result of tremendous investigative work from our FBI teams and great coordination from our state, local, and federal partners across the board," Patel said in a separate statement.
"No one who targets our brave service members and military facilities will ever get away with it," he added. "This FBI will pursue all those responsible for the incident at MacDill Air Force Base to the ends of the earth."
The case stems from a March 16 incident, when FBI Tampa announced that a suspicious package had been discovered outside the MacDill visitor center. Authorities shut down access to the base entrance as law enforcement secured the area.
MacDill Air Force Base houses the headquarters of U.S. Central Command, which is overseeing Operation Epic Fury against Iran, as well as U.S. Special Operations Command, which directs special operations forces across the Department of War.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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