WASHINGTON -- Hours after news that suspicious packages were turning up in and around Washington, D.C., an arrest was made on the other side of the country. Thanh Cong Phan, 43, appeared in court in Washington state a little more than 24 hours after 11 packages he allegedly mailed arrived at military bases in the D.C. area.

Phan had a history of writing crank letters to the military, and rambling notes included in the packages immediately fingered him as a suspect. He was arrested at his home in Everett, Washington, on Monday night, much to the surprise of a neighbor.

"I'm in shock, I don't know what to say, its so close to my house," the neighbor said.

Phan has been charged with one count of shipping explosive materials, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Thanh Cong Phan CBS NEWS

The packages contained what the FBI called "potential destructive devices" and were sent to government mail-processing facilities at the CIA, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and Fort McNair.

The package at Fort McNair was addressed to the National Defense University and contained black powder and a fuse. One at Fort Belvoir was meant for the National Geospatial Agency, the intelligence organization which analyzes spy photos taken by satellites. Another package was addressed to the Secret Service.

None of the packages exploded.

The motive for mailing the packages is unclear and the FBI warns that additional packages may show up at other mail processing facilities in the D.C. area.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Washington state man has been arrested for allegedly sending package bombs that did not explode to U.S. military sites and a CIA mail office in the Washington, D.C., area, the FBI said on Tuesday.

The suspect, Tranh Cong Phan, 43, was arrested on Monday at his home in Everett, Washington, by federal agents and sheriff’s deputies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. He was scheduled to appear in federal court in Seattle on Tuesday afternoon.

Suspicious packages were received on Monday at mail processing sites at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, which is a Navy-Air Force facility in the District of Columbia, and Fort Lesley J. McNair in the U.S. capital, the agency said.

The packages also turned up at mail facilities at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, and the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia.

“It is possible that further packages were mailed to additional mail processing facilities in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area,” the FBI said. The packages were being analyzed at the FBI laboratory at Quantico, Virginia.

FBI spokeswoman Nicole Schwab said none of the packages blew up.

Officials at Fort McNair evacuated a building after one of the packages was delivered, a spokesman said. An Army bomb squad confirmed that the package tested positive for explosive residue and determined a fuse was attached, he said.

Earlier in March in a separate incident at a U.S. military base, a man died after driving a minivan through the gate of Travis Air Force Base in California and igniting propane tanks and gasoline cans.

Several package bombs left on doorsteps and some sent from a Federal Express office were detonated in Austin, Texas, leaving two people dead and others injured. The suspected bomber blew himself up as police closed in on him.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Washington state man has been arrested in connection with a series of package bombs sent to U.S. military installations and a CIA mail office in the Washington, D.C., area earlier this week, the FBI said on Tuesday.

The suspect, Thanh Cong Phan, 43, was arrested on Monday at his home in Everett, Washington, by federal agents and sheriff’s deputies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

A U.S. security official said Phan had a history of writing incoherent letters to government officials and was believed to have mental problems. The official declined to be named during an ongoing investigation.

Court documents made public on Tuesday afternoon showed that Phan had been charged in U.S. District Court in Seattle with one count of shipping explosive materials.

Suspicious packages were received on Monday at mail processing sites at Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, which is a Navy-Air Force facility in the District of Columbia; and Fort Lesley J. McNair in the U.S. capital, the agency said.

The packages also turned up at mail facilities at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, and the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia. None of them detonated.

“It is possible that further packages were mailed to additional mail processing facilities in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area,” the FBI said. The packages were being analyzed at the FBI laboratory at Quantico, Virginia.

Ashwin Cattamanchi, a federal public defender representing Phan, declined to comment when reached by phone.

Officials at Fort McNair evacuated a building after one of the packages was delivered, a spokesman said. An Army bomb squad confirmed that the package tested positive for explosive residue and determined a fuse was attached, he said.

Earlier in March in a separate incident at a U.S. military base, a man died after driving a minivan through the gate of Travis Air Force Base in California and igniting propane tanks and gasoline cans.

Several package bombs left on doorsteps and some sent from a Federal Express office detonated in Austin, Texas, leaving two people dead and others injured. The suspected bomber blew himself up as police closed in on him.</s>The FBI said Tuesday it had arrested a Seattle-area man suspected of sending multiple suspicious packages to government facilities.

Thanh Cong Phan, 43, was taken into custody Monday at his Everett, Washington, home, the FBI said. Authorities believe he sent packages containing potentially “destructive devices” to at least five government locations in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

The locations include Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling and Fort Lesley J. McNair, in Washington, D.C.; and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Fort Belvoir and the CIA in Virginia.

No one was injured by the packages.

The joint investigation with the U.S. Postal Service is ongoing, and the FBI said it is possible more packages were mailed and have yet to be intercepted.

The FBI advised the public to “remain vigilant and not touch, move or handle any suspicious or unknown packages.”</s>A Washington state man has been taken into custody after suspicious packages were found at military bases and CIA headquarters in the Washington, D.C. area, according to the FBI, and officials said it's possible other packages were mailed to additional mail processing facilities in or near the nation's capital.Thanh Cong Phan, 43, was arrested at his residence in Everett, Wash., Monday by the FBI Seattle's office and the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. Phan is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in the Western District of Washington, the FBI said.An investigation determined Phan appeared to have sent the packages, which contained potential destructive devices, from the Seattle area to mail processing facilities at military bases and CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., the FBI said.Each package was collected for further analysis at the FBI lab at Quantico, Va., and at least one contained explosive material, the agency said.Officials at Fort Belvoir in suburban Virginia confirmed to ABC News Monday night that a suspicious package was found there that afternoon, and was contained and rendered safe.Michael Howard, an Army spokesman, confirmed reports that one of the suspicious packages was sent to National Defense University at Fort McNair around 8:30 a.m. Monday.That package contained explosive material, testing positive for black powder and residue. An X-ray indicated a suspected GPS and an expedient fuse attached. The package was eventually rendered safe and no injuries were reported, he said.The FBI, Secret Service, and hazardous material and explosive ordnance disposal units responded to the scene, Howard said. The FBI is the lead law enforcement agency investigating, Howard added.ABC News confirmed Tuesday that in addition to Fort McNair and Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in southeast Washington also received a suspicious package Monday. The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va. also received a package, the FBI said."We are tracking the delivery of suspicious packages to multiple military installations in the National Capital Region," a Department of Defense spokesperson said in a statement. "This incident is currently under investigation and we refer all queries to the Federal Bureau of Investigation."An FBI statement says the joint investigation with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is ongoing, and it is possible that more packages were mailed to additional mail processing facilities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.</s>WASHINGTON -- Authorities have arrested a man suspected of sending a series of suspicious packages to military bases and government sites in the Washington, D.C. area, the FBI announced Tuesday. It said the packages contained "potential destructive devices" and cautioned that similar packages could have been mailed in the area that have not yet been found.

The FBI identified the suspect as 43-year-old Thanh Cong Phan. He was arrested Monday at his residence in Everett, Washington. Phan was scheduled to appear in court at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported that the arrest was made about 12 hours after the packages were discovered. Court documents are expected to give insight into how many packages were mailed and whether or not the devices were actually explosive.

A law enforcement source says there does not appear to be any connection to terrorism, CBS News' Pat Milton reports. The packages were mailed by the U.S. Postal Service from the state of Washington to about 10 federal facilities in D.C. area, including the CIA. All of the contents of the packages were similar.

Multiple suspicious packages were left at Fort Belvoir, Fort McNair, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. The packages were each rendered "inert" by the facility's disposal units, although that does not mean that they were explosive. The packages sent to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and the Naval Surface Warfare Center are not believed to have contained any explosives.

The FBI is now in possession of the packages and is trying to determine if they were explosive and who sent them. The package sent to McNair, an Army base in Washington, D.C., tested positive for black powder and had a fuse attached.

"The FBI responded to multiple government facilities today for the reports of suspicious packages," the bureau said in a statement. "Each package was collected for further analysis by the FBI."

All government facilities have been screening everything coming into federal facility mailrooms, a source told CBS News. During screening, the packages were found to be suspicious, although it is unclear what made them suspicious.

It is also unclear whether each facility randomly found suspicious packages or whether an alert was sent out after one was found to be suspicious. The investigation is ongoing.</s>iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — A Washington state man has been taken into custody after suspicious packages were found at military bases and CIA headquarters in the Washington, D.C. area, according to the FBI, and officials said it’s possible other packages were mailed to additional mail processing facilities in or near the nation’s capital.

Thanh Cong Phan, 43, was arrested at his residence in Everett, Wash., Monday by the FBI Seattle’s office and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. Phan is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in the Western District of Washington, the FBI said.

An investigation determined Phan appeared to have sent the packages, which contained potential destructive devices, from the Seattle area to mail processing facilities at military bases and CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., the FBI said.

A source familiar with the case tells ABC News that at least one of the suspicious packages sent to the military and government facilities included a long, rambling and largely unintelligible message, printed out on white paper. The message makes multiple references to “synaptic frequency” and President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the case tells ABC News.

At one point the note reads: “President Trump business man we want $250 million all you dead,” the source said.

Phan was previously known to the Secret Service, after sending letters to the White House, sources also told ABC News.

Each package was collected for further analysis at the FBI lab at Quantico, Va., and at least one contained explosive material, the agency said.

Officials at Fort Belvoir in suburban Virginia confirmed to ABC News Monday night that a suspicious package was found there that afternoon, and was contained and rendered safe.

Michael Howard, an Army spokesman, confirmed reports that one of the suspicious packages was sent to National Defense University at Fort McNair around 8:30 a.m. Monday.

That package contained explosive material, testing positive for black powder and residue. An X-ray indicated a suspected GPS and an expedient fuse attached. The package was eventually rendered safe and no injuries were reported, he said.

The FBI, Secret Service, and hazardous material and explosive ordnance disposal units responded to the scene, Howard said. The FBI is the lead law enforcement agency investigating, Howard added.

ABC News confirmed Tuesday that in addition to Fort McNair and Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in southeast Washington also received a suspicious package Monday. The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va. also received a package, the FBI said.

“We are tracking the delivery of suspicious packages to multiple military installations in the National Capital Region,” a Department of Defense spokesperson said in a statement. “This incident is currently under investigation and we refer all queries to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

An FBI statement says the joint investigation with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is ongoing, and it is possible that more packages were mailed to additional mail processing facilities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.</s>WASHINGTON — Authorities near Seattle have arrested a man suspected of sending suspicious packages to multiple military installations in the Washington, D.C., region, the FBI said Tuesday, warning that he may have mailed other “destructive devices” that have not yet been found.

The packages were similarly designed and contained black powder along with rambling, nonsensical notes similar to those the man has been known to send in the past, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and did so on condition of anonymity.

The FBI identified the man as Thanh Cong Phan, 43. He was arrested late Monday at his home in Everett, Washington and was set to appear in federal court Tuesday afternoon.

Roughly a dozen packages were sent Monday to sites including Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and Fort Lesley J. McNair in the district; at Fort Belvoir, in Virginia; the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, in Dahlgren, Virginia; and the CIA. No injuries were reported, and the FBI said each package was collected for further analysis.

Phan’s motive was not immediately clear, but the official said there was no immediate connection to terrorism.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Tuesday that that all of the packages sent to Defense Department facilities are under the control of the federal authorities.

“Basically there’s a set procedure, they went through the procedure,” said Mattis. “We’ve had nobody injured and all those packages and all the evidence is accessible and is the hands of the FBI right now.”

The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.</s>The FBI is reportedly investigating a number of suspicious packages that were sent to, or discovered near, military and intelligence facilities in the Washington, D.C. area Monday.



CNN reports that the first parcel was found around 8:30 a.m. at the National Defense University in Fort McNair, prompting an immediate evacuation. Analysis later revealed that the package tested positively for black powder (a common explosive), and contained additional components that authorities said resembled a GPS and fuse.

Other sites reporting suspicious packages Monday included: Fort Belvoir in Virginia, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, Dahlgren Naval Air Station in Virginia, and both the CIA’s and White House’s mail processing center. It’s not yet clear if any of the packages were actually viable explosive devices.



Authorities also reportedly discovered letters with the packages that were described as disturbing, NBC News reported.

“We are tracking the delivery of suspicious packages to multiple military installations in the National Capital Region. This incident is currently under investigation and we refer all queries to the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Defense Department spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza told CNN.

The news comes only a week after serial bombings in Austin, which left two people dead.</s>An arrest has been made in Washington state in connection to the multiple suspicious packages that were sent to military and government facilities in the Washington, DC, area, according to a law enforcement official.

The suspect is expected in court later Tuesday.

CBS News was first to report the arrest.

On Monday, a law enforcement official told CNN that more than 10 devices were sent to various DC-area facilities. That official also said that all the devices were very crude, involving black powder, and would not have caused fatalities had they gone off.

Suspicious packages were sent to the FBI, CIA, Fort Belvoir, Fort McNair and a Naval Support Facility in Dahlgren, Virginia.

At least one package, sent to the National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington, DC, contained explosive material and was ultimately rendered safe. That package arrived at 8:30 a.m. ET and the building was evacuated immediately, according to Army spokesman Michael L. Howard.

“At 12:10 p.m., 52nd Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal from Fort Belvoir, VA, confirmed the package tested positive for black powder and residue,” Howard said in a statement. “The X-ray conducted indicates suspected GPS and an expedient fuse were attached. The package was rendered safe. No injuries are reported.”

Scanning machines at the facilities detected the suspicious materials upon receipt and the packages are being examined at the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, the law enforcement official said.
The FBI arrests Everett, Washington, 43-year-old Thanh Cong Phan on suspicion of charges of illegally shipping explosive materials by sending 12 package bombs to the CIA as well as multiple military and government facilities in the Washington, D.C. area. Those devices did not explode.