(CNN) Cesar Sayoc was charged Friday with five federal crimes and faces up to 48 years in prison in connection to improvised explosive devices sent to prominent Democratic politicians, donors and CNN offices in New York. 
 
 Sayoc was arrested in a south Florida auto parts store Friday morning as additional explosive devices or suspicious packages were identified in New York and California. 
 
 A total of 13 bombs were mailed around the country, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a new conferences, adding that there could be more packages not yet discovered. 
 
 "These are not hoax devices," Wray said. 
 
 Sayoc was charged with illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents and others, and assaulting current and former federal officers, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, adding that charges could change or expand as the investigation continues. He initially said Sayoc faced up to 58 years in prison, but the Justice Department later revised that figure to 48. 
 
 "This is a law-and-order administration," Sessions said at the Justice Department. "We will not tolerate such lawlessness, especially not political violence." 
 
 Speaking at the White House Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump congratulated law enforcement on the arrest and denounced what he called "terrorizing acts." He also called for unity: "peace and love and harmony as fellow Americans." 
 
 "We must never allow political violence to take root in America," Trump said at one point. "I'm committed to doing everything in my power as President to stop it." 
 
 As the situation initially unfolded mid-morning -- before the arrest was announced -- the President complained on Twitter that the news media was busy reporting on "'Bomb' stuff" and not politics. 
 
 "Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this 'Bomb' stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows - news not talking politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!" Trump tweeted. 
 
 Sessions said a political motive was not immediately known. 
 
 Asked why the targets were Democrats or Trump critics, Sessions said, "I don't know. Other than what you might normally expect. He may have been -- appears to be partisan but that will be determined by the facts as the case goes forward." 
 
 Sayoc's social media accounts showed he was a fervent supporter of Trump and had posted criticism of CNN and other media outlets. Among the posts were threats to individual political figures and media outlets, including CNN and CNN employees. 
 
 Trump told reporters Friday on the South Lawn he had heard Sayoc was a supporter of his, but that didn't mean much to the President. 
 
 "I heard he was a person who prefers me over others, but I did not see that," Trump said when asked about images of Trump on Sayoc's van. 
 
 The President added, "There's no blame, there's no anything." 
 
 Sayoc initially cooperative after arrest 
 
 JUST WATCHED Trump praises law enforcement for arrest Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump praises law enforcement for arrest 02:08 
 
 FBI agents used flash bangs to arrest Sayoc and took him into custody near an AutoZone store in Plantation, a law enforcement official said. He was initially cooperative and told investigators that the pipe bombs wouldn't have hurt anyone and that he didn't want to harm anyone, the official added. 
 
 A white van -- adorned with images of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, as well as a "CNN Sucks" sticker -- in Plantation was towed away Friday to Miramar, Florida, where an FBI field office is located. The official said Sayoc had been kicked out by his parents and was living in the van. 
 
 He later retained an attorney so police questioning has ceased, the official added. 
 
 DNA found on at least one of the packages, as well as Sayoc's cell phone, helped investigators identify him, multiple law enforcement officials said. 
 
 Previous arrests 
 
 Sayoc was not previously known to the Secret Service, law enforcement sources said, but Florida records show a string of arrests dating back to the early 1990s. 
 
 Notable among them is a 2002 arrest by Miami police for an offense described in online records as a "threat to bomb" and "threaten to discharge destructive device." A police report at the time shows that he threatened to blow up a power company and that "it would be worse than September 11th." 
 
 Cesar Sayoc is shown in this undated photo. 
 
 Sayoc pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year of probation, records show. 
 
 The records show a total of eight arrests for offenses, including grand theft, battery, fraud and drug possession, as well as multiple probation violations. In 2014, he was arrested after stealing copper pipes at a Home Depot, to which he plead guilty. 
 
 The adjudication of each of the arrests could not immediately be determined from the summary of offenses provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Sayoc appears to have pleaded no contest to some offenses. Prosecutors appear to have dropped charges in other matters. 
 
 Sayoc also was arrested in North Carolina in 1999 on a stolen vehicle charge, which was later dismissed. 
 
 Florida voting records show Sayoc is a registered Republican. He filed for bankruptcy in 2012. 
 
 New packages Friday 
 
 JUST WATCHED New suspicious packages addressed to Booker, Clapper Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH New suspicious packages addressed to Booker, Clapper 02:01 
 
 Earlier Friday, authorities intercepted suspicious packages intended for Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey; former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper; Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California; and major Democratic donor Tom Steyer, the latest to be sent to prominent Democrats and critics of Trump that were discovered earlier this week. 
 
 Authorities believe the package addressed to Steyer is from Sayoc, according to multiple law enforcement officials. 
 
 This brings the total number of known packages sent by Sayoc to 14. However, he's been charged with sending only 13 packages. 
 
 One of the officials says the package has been rendered safe and will be transported to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis. 
 
 The FBI said Friday that the package addressed to Booker was discovered in Florida and is "similar in appearance to the others." Sources told CNN the package was addressed to the senator's Camden, New Jersey, office. Booker confirmed the package was intended for him but declined to comment further to CNN. The packages intended for Harris and Steyer were discovered in California, law enforcement sources said. 
 
 The package intended for Clapper also was addressed to CNN, a law enforcement official said. It was found at a New York City postal facility and was similar to the other packages, the official added. 
 
 The Clapper package arrived in a manila envelope with six US flag stamps, just like others discovered this week. The return address is that of Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Florida office, which was the address on packages intended for former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, billionaire and Democratic donor George Soros, actor Robert De Niro, former Attorney General Eric Holder, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former CIA Director John Brennan. There is no information that suggests Wasserman Schultz sent them. 
 
 Clapper, who has frequently criticized Trump, vowed to CNN Friday morning that he wouldn't be intimidated in light of the discovery. 
 
 "I do want to just echo one thing that John Brennan said and that this is not going to silence the administration's critics," Clapper said. 
 
 This story is breaking and will be updated. ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. 
 
 Oct. 26, 2018, 12:55 PM GMT / Updated Oct. 26, 2018, 11:50 PM GMT By Pete Williams, Jonathan Dienst, Tom Winter, Andrew Blankstein and Elisha Fieldstadt 
 
 A Florida man was charged Friday in connection with the series of bombs found this week addressed to critics of President Donald Trump, law enforcement officials said shortly after more devices were found. 
 
 Cesar Sayoc, 56, who has been arrested before, was in custody, law enforcement officials said. DNA evidence played a role in the arrest, law enforcement told NBC News. 
 
 He was charged with five federal counts: interstate transport of explosives, mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents, making threatening interstate communications and assault of current or former officials. 
 
 Sayoc faces up to 48 years behind bars if convicted of all counts, officials said. 
 
 Each device was made up of a 6-inch PVC pipe, a small clock, battery, wiring and “energetic material” that could have set off an explosive, FBI Director Christopher Wray said at a press conference. 
 
 “Though we are still analyzing the devices in our laboratories, these are not hoax devices," he said. 
 
 The break in the case came when fingerprints were lifted off a suspicious package mailed to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and two DNA samples from mailings to the congresswoman and former President Barack Obama, according to the criminal complaint. 
 
 The prints and DNA linked the packages to Sayoc, officials said. 
 
 “This is phenomenal work under the greatest pressure under an incredibly tight time frame,” Wray said. 
 
 Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Wray declined to speculate about Sayoc’s possible motives. 
 
 Sessions said Sayoc appeared to be a political partisan, "but that would be determined by the facts as the case goes forward. I’m not able to comment on that." 
 
 And Wray added, “We’re concerned about people committing acts of violence under any motivation.” 
 
 Sayoc has an extensive criminal past, records showed. He was arrested in 2002 for threatening to throw a bomb; he pleaded guilty and was given a special sentence in which probation is ordered but a formal conviction is not made. He was also arrested for theft in 1992 and 2014. 
 
 A van in Plantation, Florida that is taken for the bomb package investigation. NBC News 
 
 Sayoc filed for bankruptcy in 2012, and is a registered Republican, according to public records. His cousin, who asked not to be identified, said Sayoc had worked in strip clubs as a dancer and a bouncer. 
 
 "He’s always been a little bit of a loose cannon. He’s always been a lost soul," the cousin said. "Too many steroids in his day. That stuff will melt your brain." 
 
 Investigators in the Plantation, Florida, parking lot where Sayoc was arrested could be seen placing a tarp over a van with windows covered with pictures of Trump and political memes. Some pictures on the van of Democratic politicians, including Hillary Clinton, had red targets over their faces. 
 
 Sayoc's Twitter feed is full of partially incoherent attacks on Democrats and the media. 
 
 Cesar Sayoc at a Donald Trump rally via Facebook 
 
 Four more suspicious packages were discovered Friday, one in Florida addressed to Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and another in New York addressed to former U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, officials said. 
 
 The third package was found at a Sacramento postal facility and addressed to Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., two law enforcement officials told NBC News. It wasn't immediately clear if that package was connected to the others. 
 
 "Our understanding is that a trained postal employee identified the package at a Sacramento mail facility and reported it to the authorities. Fortunately, nobody was injured," according to a statement from Harris' office. 
 
 "Senator Harris is enormously grateful to law enforcement officials across the country who have worked so hard over the past week to keep our fellow citizens safe." 
 
 And the fourth was addressed to California billionaire, philanthropist and liberal activist Tom Steyer and was found at a Burlingame, California, postal sorting facility, two law enforcement sources said. 
 
 Steyer runs the political advocacy groups NextGen America and Need to Impeach. 
 
 The 2002 mug shot of Cesar Sayoc. Miami-Dade Police Department 
 
 "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," Steyer said. "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." 
 
 The package addressed to Booker was discovered at a postal facility in Opa-locka, Florida. On Thursday, investigators said they believed some of the packages may have passed through that mail sorting facility. The packages listed Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's address in Sunrise, Florida, as the return address. Sunrise is adjacent to Plantation and less than 20 miles north of Opa-locka. 
 
 "Grateful for law enforcement's work to bring those responsible to justice & for their vigilance to keep Americans safe," Booker tweeted on Friday. "Cowardly acts of terror will never silence or intimidate Americans—they will only strengthen our resolve to stand against fear & hatred." 
 
 The package mailed to Clapper was addressed to CNN's New York offices, according to a picture obtained by NBC New York, and discovered at a postal facility in Midtown Manhattan. 
 
 Sign up for Breaking News Alerts from NBC News 
 
 The New York Police Department said Friday morning that they were responding to a possible device at the postal facility at 52nd Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan, about six blocks away from the Time Warner Center, where CNN is. The explosive device was the second to be addressed to the news network this week. 
 
 Buildings near the post office, including a high school, had been evacuated. 
 
 Police said later Friday morning that the package had been removed and would first go to an NYPD facility in the Bronx before it would be sent to the FBI's lab in Quantico. 
 
 On CNN, where Clapper works as a contributor, he called the series of mailed explosives "domestic terrorism." 
 
 "I think anyone who has in any way been a critic, publicly been a critic of President Trump, needs to be on extra alert and take some cautions, precautions, particularly with respect to mail," he said. 
 
 Image obtained by WNBC of the package found at NYC post office on the morning of Oct. 26,2018. WNBC 
 
 Clapper stressed that he wasn't "suggesting a direct cause-and-effect relationship" between anything the president has said or done and the sending of the packages, but "I do think he bears some responsibility for the coarseness and uncivility of the dialogue in this country, and that he needs to remember that his words count." 
 
 At an event Friday, Trump lauded law enforcement for apprehending the suspect, saying: "These terrorizing acts are despicable, and they have no place in our country. No place." 
 
 "We must never allow political violence to take root in America," Trump said. "The bottom line is that Americans must unify and show the world that we are united in peace and love and harmony as fellow American citizens." 
 
 Earlier in the day, after Friday's bombs were discovered, Trump tweeted, "Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this 'Bomb' stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows — news not talking politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!." 
 
 White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters earlier that “the president is receiving constant information as it is available.” 
 
 Trump told supporters during a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday that the country was having a broader conversation about tone and civility in politics, saying that the entire country would benefit by ending the politics of "personal destruction." The president then criticized the news media for its coverage on him and the Republican party. 
 
 "We must unify as a nation in peace love and in harmony. The media has a major role to play whether they want to or not," Trump told the crowd. The president paused as his supporters booed. 
 
 "And they do indeed have a major role to play in terms of tone and as far as everything," Trump continued. "And we all say this in all sincerity but the media's constant unfair coverage, deep hostility and negative attacks only serve to drive people apart and to undermine healthy debate." 
 
 The president then went on to criticize Democrats Nancy Pelosi and "Crying Chuck Schumer." 
 
 Suspicious package targets: 
 
 Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 
 
 Former President Barack Obama 
 
 Former CIA Director John Brennan 
 
 Billionaire George Soros 
 
 Former Attorney General Eric Holder 
 
 Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. (two ) 
 
 Actor Robert De Niro 
 
 Former Vice President Joe Biden (two) 
 
 Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. 
 
 Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper 
 
 Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. 
 
 Billionaire Tom Steyer 
 
 The 10 previous packages, all of which contained pipe bombs, have been addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden; actor Robert De Niro; Waters; former Attorney General Eric Holder; former CIA Director John Brennan; former President Obama; and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 
 
 The package sent to Brennan was also addressed to CNN's offices in New York and led to an hourslong evacuation of the building Wednesday. Brennan does not work for CNN. He serves as an analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. 
 
 Both Biden and Waters received two packages. On Thursday, packages addressed to Biden and De Niro were discovered in Delaware and New York respectively. 
 
 At least some of the devices sent were flawed in varying ways and would not have exploded, investigators said Thursday. But it's unclear whether the deficiencies were intentional or the result of faulty construction, and officials urged the public to remain vigilant. 
 
 Sayoc's packages had a slew or typos and misspellings, according to the criminal complaint written by FBI Special Agent David Brown. 
 
 The defendant spelled "Hilary Clinton" with a single "l," consistently ended "Florids" with an "s" instead of an "a," made reference to President "Barrack" Obama and addressed a package of "Maxim" Waters, according to the complaint. 
 
 Special Agent Brown also wrote that each of the "IEDs was largely similar in design and construction ... each was stamped with approximately six self-adhesive postage stamps each bearing a picture of an American flag." ||||| (CNN) DNA, fingerprints and pings from a cell phone tower led authorities to an auto parts store parking lot in south Florida where they arrested a 56-year-old man Friday morning. The arrest brought an end to a four-day nationwide manhunt for the alleged mailer of over a dozen suspected pipe bombs to prominent critics of President Donald Trump. 
 
 A key break in the case for investigators came Thursday, according to a criminal complaint and multiple law enforcement officials, when they traced five packages to the Opa-Locka processing and distribution center outside of Miami. 
 
 That break allowed authorities to narrow their search, which -- combined with DNA and fingerprint samples left on a package sent to Rep. Maxine Waters and cell phone geolocation information -- led to Cesar Sayoc, even as new devices were being found in New York and California. 
 
 FBI agents arrested Sayoc at an AutoZone parking lot in Plantation, Florida, about six miles west of Fort Lauderdale, Friday morning as he was nearing his white van, which has been covered with images political in nature, including images of notable liberals such as Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama. 
 
 A "CNN Sucks" sticker was also on the van. Two of the packages with explosive devices were addressed to the CNN New York bureau. 
 
 Other targets include former Vice President Joe Biden, and critics of Donald Trump including Waters, actor-director Robert De Niro, and Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. A suspicious package similar to the others this week was also found Friday in the San Francisco Bay area addressed to Democratic billionaire donor Tom Steyer 
 
 Friday's arrest was the culmination of a multi-agency federal, state and local law enforcement and civilian effort that began Monday when the first suspected pipe bomb sent to George Soros, a billionaire philanthropist who has supported Democrats, was intercepted. 
 
 Three new suspected bombs were detected Friday morning in Florida, New York and California as agents in South Florida were preparing to apprehend Sayoc at the parking lot. The packages were nearly identical -- six inch PVC pipes with wires, stuffed inside a bubble-wrap lined manila envelope, according to the complaint. Six American flag stamps were affixed to each envelope with the return address of Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's office. 
 
 "These are not hoax devices," FBI Director Christopher Wray said at a news conference Friday. 
 
 Sayoc was charged with five criminal counts related to 13 explosive devices, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Friday. He faces up to 48 years in prison if convicted. 
 
 JUST WATCHED See pro-Trump stickers on bomb suspect's van Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH See pro-Trump stickers on bomb suspect's van 01:48 
 
 The investigation, led by the FBI and its Joint Terrorism Task Force, the NYPD, the US Postal Inspectors and other federal agencies and local law enforcement, depended heavily on the quick work of private security and US postal workers who detected bombs as they arrived at office buildings and post offices. 
 
 Authorities were also aided by mistakes made by the alleged bomber who left traces of evidence investigators scrambled to understand. 
 
 As explosive devices were sent to the FBI forensics lab in Quantico, investigators there detected DNA and a fingerprint found on the device intended for Waters and, working with local law enforcement, matched it late Thursday night to a sample of Sayoc's DNA that had been previously collected, Wray said. 
 
 Traces of DNA collected from two other of the bombs appeared related to Sayoc, according to the complaint filed in federal court Friday. 
 
 With his possible identity known, investigators checked his cell phone number against cell phone towers in the vicinity to see if they matched the location and timing for when the packages originated, according to a law enforcement official. 
 
 By Thursday night, agents and law enforcement officers, confident they had found the alleged bomber, were combing through social media posts of Sayoc and began surveilling him either Thursday night or Friday morning, the law enforcement official said. 
 
 Clues appeared to confirm their suspicions. Sayoc misspelled words on posts that matched some of those on the packages. Some posts said, "Hilary" instead of "Hillary" Clinton, while another said "Shultz" instead of Schultz for Debbie Wasserman Schultz. 
 
 Investigators first went to the home of Sayoc's mother in Aventura, but were told he wasn't there, according to a law enforcement official. As of Friday afternoon, authorities were searching his mother's residential complex. 
 
 Meanwhile, they detected a ping identifying Sayoc's cell phone. In the AutoZone parking lot, agents found the white van, where he appeared to be living. 
 
 Sayoc was initially somewhat cooperative, one official said. He told investigators that the pipe bombs wouldn't have hurt anyone and that he didn't want to hurt anyone. But he has since retained a lawyer so questioning has ceased. He is scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday in Florida. 
 
 Although Sayoc is in custody, FBI director Wray cautioned that there could be more potential explosive devices sent that have yet to be detected. 
 
 "Today's arrest does not mean we are all out of the woods," Wray told reporters. "There may be more packages in transit now." 
 
 JUST WATCHED Trump: I think I've been toned down Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump: I think I've been toned down 01:42 
 
 Correction: This story has been updated to accurately state that the Joint Terrorism Task Force is run by the FBI. ||||| This image obtained Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018, and provided by ABC News shows a package addressed to former CIA head John Brennan and an explosive device that was sent to CNN's New York office. The mail-bomb... (Associated Press) 
 
 This image obtained Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018, and provided by ABC News shows a package addressed to former CIA head John Brennan and an explosive device that was sent to CNN's New York office. The mail-bomb scare widened Thursday as law enforcement officials seized more suspicious packages. (ABC News... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on pipe bombs sent to prominent critics of President Donald Trump (all times local): 
 
 12:44 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump is confirming that a suspect in the mail bomb scare is in custody and says he will be prosecuted "to the fullest extent of the law." 
 
 Trump, in his first remarks since Cesar Sayoc, 56, was apprehended in Florida, declared that "we must never allow political violence take root in America." 
 
 More than 10 mail bombs have been sent in recent days to political opponents of the president. 
 
 Trump declared that "these terrorizing acts are despicable" and said Americans "must unify." 
 
 But his remarks came just hours after Trump tweeted a complaint that the media's focus on bombs was distracting from Republican efforts in the upcoming midterm elections. 
 
 He also put the word "bomb" in quotes, a seeming nod to those who believed the scare was a hoax. 
 
 __ 
 
 12:30 p.m. 
 
 The name of the man detained in connection with the pipe bomb scare is Cesar Sayoc, 56, of Aventura, Florida, according to law enforcement officials. 
 
 Four officials familiar with the investigation identified the man to The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter on the record. 
 
 It was not clear whether Sayoc had been formally charged in the rash of devices addressed in recent days to Democratic figures including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. 
 
 __ 
 
 11:59 a.m. 
 
 Law enforcement officers were seen on television Friday examining a white van, its windows covered with an assortment of stickers, in the city of Plantation, Florida. 
 
 The stickers included images of American flags, and what appeared to be logos of the Republican National Committee and CNN, though the writing surrounding those images was unclear. 
 
 Officials covered the vehicle with a blue tarp before removing it from the Florida neighborhood where it was found. 
 
 Law enforcement officials have not said whether the van in question was connected to the person taken into custody in Florida in connection with the mail bombs sent to prominent critics of President Donald Trump. 
 
 __ 
 
 11:50 a.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump says he will "address the investigation into the bomb packages" shortly. 
 
 Trump is scheduled to speak Friday at the Young Black Leadership Summit at the White House. He tweeted that he will speak about the investigation at the event. 
 
 Trump's tweet came after the Justice Department said federal authorities arrested a man in Florida on Friday in connection with the mail-bomb scare that widened to 12 suspicious packages. 
 
 The development came amid a coast-to-coast manhunt for the person responsible for a series of explosive devices addressed to Democrats including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. 
 
 Earlier in the day, Trump referenced "this "Bomb" stuff" on Twitter, saying the scare was distracting from Republican efforts in the midterm elections. 
 
 __ 
 
 11:42 a.m. 
 
 A law enforcement official says the person in custody in connection with package bombs sent to prominent Democrats is a man in his 50s. 
 
 Two other law enforcement officials said the man was taken into custody in Florida. The person's name was not immediately released. The officials weren't authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. 
 
 Authorities have located 12 devices addressed in recent days to Democratic figures including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. 
 
 The targets have all been high-profile critics of the president. 
 
 The Justice Department has scheduled a Friday afternoon news conference to discuss the investigation. 
 
 —By Colleen Long and Michael Balsamo 
 
 __ 
 
 11:26 a.m. 
 
 Two law enforcement officials say a person was taken into custody in Florida in connection with package bombs that were sent to high-profile critics of the president. 
 
 The officials weren't authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke Friday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. 
 
 The person's name was not immediately released. 
 
 Video from television news helicopters showed federal agents and police officers examining a white van in the parking lot of a business in Plantation, Florida. 
 
 The van had several stickers on the windows, including American flags. 
 
 Officials located 12 devices addressed in recent days to Democratic figures including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. 
 
 — By Michael Balsamo 
 
 __ 
 
 11:10 a.m. 
 
 The Justice Department says a person has been taken into custody in connection with a series of package bombs sent to prominent Democrats. 
 
 Spokeswoman Sarah Flores says a news conference is scheduled for later Friday. The person's name was not immediately released. 
 
 Officials have located 12 devices addressed in recent days to Democratic figures including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. 
 
 The FBI said Friday that a package addressed to Sen. Cory Booker, of New Jersey, was intercepted in Florida. Another was discovered at a Manhattan postal facility and was addressed to former national intelligence director James Clapper at CNN's address. 
 
 The targets have all been high-profile critics of President Donald Trump. 
 
 ___ 
 
 11 a.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump is arguing that a mail bomb scare targeting Democratic politicians and CNN is distracting from his midterm election efforts, dismissing it as "this 'Bomb' stuff." 
 
 Trump tweets Friday morning: "Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this 'Bomb' stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows - news not talking politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!" 
 
 The president's comments came as two more suspicious packages were discovered Friday. They were addressed to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former National Intelligence Director James Clapper. 
 
 That brings the total number of devices to 12 in recent days. The targets have all been high-profile critics of the president. 
 
 Trump initially called for unity, but quickly turned to blaming the press for the divisive political climate. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:10 a.m. 
 
 A law enforcement official has confirmed to The Associated Press that the suspicious package addressed to New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker was found during an overnight search of the Opa-locka, Florida, mail facility that lasted until 4 a.m. Friday. 
 
 The official said the package was similar to the others sent to targets of right-wing anger, with the return address listed as the Sunrise, Florida, office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The official did not know if the package was outgoing or a return-to-sender mailing. 
 
 The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak to reporters on the ongoing investigation. 
 
 — By Curt Anderson in Miami 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:50 a.m. 
 
 Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says he is not surprised he has been targeted with a suspicious package. 
 
 Clapper told CNN Friday morning that the devices sent to prominent critics of President Donald Trump in recent days were "definitely domestic terrorism." 
 
 Two officials told the AP that a package was discovered at a postal facility in Midtown Manhattan. One official said it was addressed to Clapper. The officials weren't authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. 
 
 Clapper described the situation as "serious," but said it is "not going to silence the administration's critics." 
 
 Clapper stressed that he did not want to suggest any direct link between Trump's past rhetoric and the packages. But he said Trump should bear responsibility for the "coarseness and uncivility of the dialogue in this country." 
 
 — By Michael R. Sisak in New York and Michael Balsamo in Washington 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:40 a.m. 
 
 Robert De Niro is calling on people to vote in light of the series of bombs mailed to targets of right-wing anger. 
 
 In a statement released by his publicist on Friday, the actor says "There's something more powerful than bombs, and that's your vote. People must vote!" 
 
 A suspicious package containing what authorities described as a crude pipe bomb was discovered at De Niro's New York City office on Thursday. 
 
 De Niro says he is thankful no one was hurt. He also thanked "the brave and resourceful security and law enforcement people for protecting us." 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:25 a.m. 
 
 Two law enforcement officials say a package closely resembling parcels sent to critics of President Donald Trump has been found at a postal facility in New York City. 
 
 A police bomb squad was responding to a post office in Midtown Manhattan to check out the item, which was discovered by postal workers. One official says it was addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. 
 
 The officials weren't authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. 
 
 Police were advising pedestrians and motorists to avoid the area while they investigate. 
 
 The post office is near several Broadway theaters 
 
 — By Michael R. Sisak in New York and Michael Balsamo in Washington 
 
 ___ 
 
 8:55 a.m. 
 
 The FBI says a suspicious package addressed to New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker has been recovered in Florida and is similar in appearance to the other ones received in the last few days. 
 
 That's the 11th package this week. 
 
 The targets of packages containing pipe bombs have been prominent critics of President Donald Trump. 
 
 Other packages have been intended for people including former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, philanthropist George Soros, former Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Maxine Waters. 
 
 The FBI is doing a nationwide manhunt for whoever is sending the pipe bomb packages. Officials are trying to determine if the sender or senders was trying to sow fear or actually cause physical destruction. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:55 a.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump claims he's being blamed for the mail bombs addressed to some of his most prominent critics. 
 
 Trump says in a tweet sent before dawn Friday, "Funny how lowly rated CNN, and others, can criticize me at will, even blaming me for the current spate of Bombs and ridiculously comparing this to September 11th and the Oklahoma City bombing, yet when I criticize them they go wild and scream, 'it's just not Presidential!'" 
 
 Pipe bombs were sent to Trump critics including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and to ex-CIA director John Brennan at CNN but didn't explode. 
 
 Trump tweeted Thursday much of the anger in society is caused by the "Mainstream Media." 
 
 Brennan replied Trump should stop blaming others and should "Look in the mirror." Brennan advises Trump to "try to act Presidential." 
 
 CNN hasn't responded to messages seeking comment before business hours. 
 
 ___ 
 
 1:30 a.m. 
 
 Investigators have been searching coast-to-coast for the culprit and motives behind the bizarre mail-bomb plot aimed at critics of the president, analyzing the innards of the crude devices to reveal whether they were intended to detonate or simply sow fear two weeks before Election Day. 
 
 Three more devices were linked to the plot Thursday — two addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and one to actor Robert De Niro — bringing the total to 10 in an outbreak of politically loaded menace with little if any precedent. 
 
 Law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the devices, containing timers and batteries, were not rigged like booby-trapped package bombs that would explode upon opening. A search of a postal database suggested at least some may have been mailed from Florida. 
 
 ___ 
 
 For the AP's complete coverage of the mail-bomb scare: https://apnews.com/PipeBombAttacks ||||| New York City police officers clear the scene after a report of a possible suspicious package was called in at the Time Warner Center Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018, in New York. The NYPD had said it had evaluated... (Associated Press) 
 
 New York City police officers clear the scene after a report of a possible suspicious package was called in at the Time Warner Center Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018, in New York. The NYPD had said it had evaluated the packages "as a precaution" on Thursday night. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities took a man into custody Friday in Florida in connection with the mail-bomb scare that earlier widened to 12 suspicious packages, the FBI and Justice Department said. 
 
 The man was identified by law enforcement officials as Cesar Sayoc, 56, of Aventura, Florida. He was arrested at an auto parts store in the nearby city of Plantation. 
 
 Court records show Sayoc has a history of arrests. 
 
 Law enforcement officers were seen on television examining a white van, its windows covered with an assortment of stickers, in the city of Plantation in the Miami area. Authorities covered the vehicle with a blue tarp and took it away on the back of a flatbed truck. 
 
 The stickers included images of American flags and what appeared to be logos of the Republican National Committee and CNN, though the writing surrounding those images was unclear. 
 
 President Donald Trump said he expected to speak about the investigation at a youth summit on Friday. 
 
 The development came amid a coast-to-coast manhunt for the person responsible for a series of explosive devices addressed to Democrats including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. 
 
 Law enforcement officials said they had intercepted a dozen packages in states across the country. None had exploded, and it wasn't immediately clear if they were intended to cause physical harm or simply sow fear and anxiety. 
 
 Earlier Friday, authorities said suspicious packages addressed to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former National Intelligence Director James Clapper — both similar to those containing pipe bombs sent to other prominent critics of President Donald Trump— had been intercepted. 
 
 Investigators believe the mailings were staggered. The U.S. Postal Service searched their facilities 48 hours ago and the most recent packages didn't turn up. Officials don't think they were sitting in the system without being spotted. They were working to determine for sure. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. 
 
 The FBI said the package to Booker was intercepted in Florida. The one discovered at a Manhattan postal facility was addressed to Clapper at CNN's address. An earlier package had been sent to former Obama CIA Director John Brennan via CNN in New York. 
 
 Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday the Justice Department was dedicating every available resource to the investigation "and I can tell you this: We will find the person or persons responsible. We will bring them to justice." 
 
 Trump, on the other hand, complained that "this 'bomb' stuff" was taking attention away from the upcoming election and said critics were wrongly blaming him and his heated rhetoric. 
 
 Investigators were analyzing the innards of the crude devices to reveal whether they were intended to detonate or simply sow fear just before Election Day. 
 
 Law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the devices, containing timers and batteries, were not rigged to explode upon opening. But they were uncertain whether the devices were poorly designed or never intended to cause physical harm. 
 
 Most of those targeted were past or present U.S. officials, but one was sent to actor Robert De Niro and billionaire George Soros. The bombs have been sent across the country - from New York, Delaware and Washington, D.C., to Florida and California, where Rep. Maxine Waters was targeted. They bore the return address of Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. 
 
 The common thread among the bomb targets was obvious: their critical words for Trump and his frequent, harsher criticism in return. 
 
 Trump claimed Friday he was being blamed for the mail bombs, complaining in a tweet sent before dawn: "Funny how lowly rated CNN, and others, can criticize me at will, even blaming me for the current spate of Bombs and ridiculously comparing this to September 11th and the Oklahoma City bombing, yet when I criticize them they go wild and scream, 'it's just not Presidential!'" 
 
 The package to Clapper was addressed to him at CNN's Midtown Manhattan address. Clapper, a frequent Trump critic, told CNN that he was not surprised he was targeted and that he considered the actions "definitely domestic terrorism." 
 
 Jeff Zucker, the president of CNN Worldwide, said in a note to staff that all mail to CNN domestic offices was being screened at off-site facilities. He said there was no imminent danger to the Time Warner Center, where CNN's New York office is located. 
 
 At a press conference Thursday, officials in New York would not discuss possible motives or details on how the packages found their way into the postal system. Nor would they say why the packages hadn't detonated, but they stressed they were still treating them as "live devices." 
 
 The devices were packaged in manila envelopes and carried U.S. postage stamps. They were being examined by technicians at the FBI's forensic lab in Quantico, Virginia. 
 
 The packages stoked nationwide tensions ahead of the Nov. 6 election to determine control of Congress — a campaign both major political parties have described in near-apocalyptic terms. Politicians from both parties used the threats to decry a toxic political climate and lay blame. 
 
 Trump, in a tweet Thursday, blamed the "Mainstream Media" for the anger in society. Brennan responded, tweeting that Trump should "Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror." 
 
 The bombs are about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long and packed with powder and broken glass, according to a law enforcement official who viewed X-ray images. The official said the devices were made from PVC pipe and covered with black tape. 
 
 The first bomb discovered was delivered Monday to the suburban New York compound of Soros, a major contributor to Democratic causes. Soros has called Trump's presidency "dangerous." 
 
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 Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman, Ken Thomas, Jill Colvin and Chad Day in Washington and Jim Mustian, Deepti Hajela, Tom Hays and Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report. 
 
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 For the AP's complete coverage of the mail-bomb scare: https://apnews.com/PipeBombAttacks
– An arrest has been made tied to the mail bombs being sent around the nation. Multiple sources tell CNN a man was taken into custody Friday. He has been identified as 56-year-old Cesar Sayoc Jr. of Aventura, Florida, and DNA evidence helped lead investigators to him, per NBC News and the AP. A white van believed to be linked to Sayoc, which was reported to be adorned with Trump pictures and the presidential seal, was impounded by law enforcement officials and taken to a "secure facility." The New York Times reports the arrest in Florida came just hours after two more devices had been intercepted by the FBI: one meant for New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, and another for ex-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Law enforcement officials say Sayoc is a store manager in Florida, per the Wall Street Journal. Online court records show Sayoc was arrested in Miami in 2002 for making a bomb threat and received a year's probation; court records tie at least two other criminal cases in the Miami area to Sayoc. A DOJ spokeswoman announced that a press conference regarding the arrest will be held Friday at 2:30pm EDT.