US EditionMan charged with making threatening calls to a Florida Air Force base days after a device was found
Jonathan Elder, 35, made threatening calls following a suspicious package found at MacDill Air Force Base, prompting lockdown; FBI traced calls to an assisted-living facility, officials said.
- On Monday, Jonathan James Elder, 35, of Palm Harbor was arrested and federally charged with making threatening phone calls to MacDill Air Force Base that referenced a suspicious package found days earlier.
- The threats followed a March 16 security alert after investigators discovered a package containing 'possible energetic materials' at the visitor center, prompting MacDill to adopt FPCON Charlie, the second-highest military alert level.
- FBI agents traced the calls to an assisted living facility in St. Petersburg where Elder resided, identifying him through cell-site data and a prior March 4 contact when he called the FBI's National Threat Operations Center seeking employment.
- After questioning at the facility, Elder admitted to calling the base but claimed his statements were 'meaningless' and denied making weapons; he was transported for involuntary evaluation under Florida's Baker Act and is held at Pinellas County Jail.
- Separately, federal indictments charged 20-year-old Alen Zheng and 27-year-old Ann Mary Zheng on Wednesday in connection with the package, with the sister in custody while her brother fled to China; investigators widened the probe to include an anonymous video.
149 Articles
149 Articles
Naturalized citizens flee to China days before bomb found at US Air Force base
A brother and sister pair in Florida are both facing decades in federal prison after a bomb was discovered at an Air Force base days after they had fled the country.Alen Zheng, 20, and Ann Mary Zheng, 27, who lived together in Land O' Lakes, Florida, are both under federal indictment in connection with the bomb.Officials described the device as 'viable' and 'potentially very deadly.'On March 10, a person called 911 to report that an IED had been…
Brother And sister Involved In Planting IEDs At Entrance To MacDill Air Force Base In Tampa, Florida - Armed Forces Press
The two are U.S. Citizens - but may be dual citizens. The brother has fled to China. The mother is now detained and being processed for deportation, being found to be an Illegal Alien. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was placed near the Visitor Center of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. A very bizarre set of circumstances. Were the brother and sister operating on behalf of China? Were they Iranian sleeper agents? Were they trigger…
Siblings Charged for Planting Explosives Near a Major U.S. Air Force Base.
PULSE POINTSWHAT HAPPENED: A man accused of planting an explosive device outside MacDill Air Force Base has fled to China, while his sister is now in custody after both were charged in connection with the incident.WHO WAS INVOLVED: Alen Zheng, 20, and his sister Ann Mary Zheng, 27, both face federal charges, with U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe overseeing the case.WHEN & WHERE: The incident began on March 10, 2026, outside MacDill Air Force Base in …
Former USF student federally indicted for bomb threat at MacDill Air Force Base
A former USF student was indicted Wednesday on three counts tied to an improvised explosive device outside the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. On March 10, Alen Zheng attempted to detonate an improvised explosive device at the MacDill Air Force Base visitor’s center, according to the indictment unsealed by the U.S. Department of Justice […] The post Former USF student federally indicted for bomb threat at MacDill Air Force Base appeared first o…
NBC Omits, ABC Barely Covers DISTURBING Turn in Bomb Found on Key U.S. Base
NBC Omits, ABC Barely Covers DISTURBING Turn in Bomb Found on Key U.S. Base On Thursday, law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida announced charges against a brother and sister in the placement of a bomb at MacDill Air Force base, a key U.S. base amid the war in Iran as it’s home to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and U.S. Special Operations Command. This national security bombshell was of no interest to NBC (and …
Iran-Linked Terrorists Indicted for Planting Explosives at Florida Military Base
Federal prosecutors have indicted a brother and sister in connection with a suspected explosive device discovered at MacDill Air Force Base, a critical U.S. military installation tied to ongoing operations in the Middle East.
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