FBI director shoots down mail bomber conspiracy theories: 'These are not hoax devices'

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday said explosives sent to prominent Democrats over the course of the work were not "hoax" devices.

• FBI Director Christopher Wray shot down "false flag" conspiracy theories about a series of attempted bombings via mail of high-profile Democrats and other public figures. 
• "These are not hoax devices," Wray said. 
• Cesar Sayoc Jr., 56, of Aventura, Florida, was arrested in connection with the attempted attacks on Friday.

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday shot down conspiracy theories about a series of attempted bombings via mail of high-profile Democrats and other public figures. 

"Though we're still analyzing the devices in our laboratory, these are not hoax devices," Wray said. 

His comment came as law enforcement officials released details on Cesar Sayoc Jr., 56, who was arrested earlier in the day in Florida and will face charges in connection with the slew of suspicious packages intercepted across the country. 

A number of prominent conservatives, including Lou Dobbs of Fox Business, have suggested the reports surrounding the attempted attacks were planted by Democrats to make Republicans look bad. Dobbs even referred to the explosives as "Fake Bombs" in a tweet he eventually deleted.

President Donald Trump was criticized Friday morning after he tweeted that the "'bomb' stuff" was distracting the media from political news ahead of the midterm elections next month. After Sayoc was apprehended, Trump applauded law enforcement.

At least 14 suspicious packages have been found or intercepted across the country. All were addressed to people who've been verbally attacked by Trump, and who've also been vocally critical of the president. 

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Sayoc, who registered as a Republican before Florida's 2016 primary, has an extensive criminal record. Wray said DNA evidence, including a fingerprint on one of the envelopes in the investigation, helped law enforcement track down the suspect.