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Man Arrested In Connection With D.C.-Area Suspicious Packages, Authorities Say

The FBI investigated multiple reports of suspicious packages at government facilities in and around Washington, D.C., on Monday.
Nicholas Kamm
/
AFP/Getty Images
The FBI investigated multiple reports of suspicious packages at government facilities in and around Washington, D.C., on Monday.

Updated at 1:35 p.m. ET

Authorities arrested a man in Washington state on Tuesday in connection with a number of suspicious packages that arrived Monday at federal facilities in and around Washington, D.C.

Thanh Cong Phan, 43, was arrested at his home in Everett, Wash., the FBI said. He was taken into custody by FBI agents from the Seattle field office and Snohomish County sheriff's deputies around 12 hours after the first package was discovered.

Phan was scheduled to appear later Tuesday in federal court in the western district of Washington state.

"The FBI investigation determined that the packages contained potential destructive devices and appeared to be sent by the same individual," the bureau's announcement said.

The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service also are working to see whether any other suspicious packages might be moving through the mail to other potential targets in the Washington D.C. area.

The FBI confirmed that packages arrived at

  • Fort Belvoir, Va., an Army base southwest of Washington D.C.
  • Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, a base in the District that is home to the Defense Intelligence Agency.
  • Fort McNair, in the District, which is home to National Defense University.
  • CIA headquarters, in Northern Virginia.
  • Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren, Va., about a 90-minute drive south of Washington D.C.
  • Officials at Fort McNair told NBC News that the package they received tested positive for explosive black powder. An X-ray examination showed what looked like some kind of GPS device and a fuse. The package was rendered safe.

    No injuries or explosions were reported.

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    Laurel Wamsley is a reporter for NPR's News Desk. She reports breaking news for NPR's digital coverage, newscasts, and news magazines, as well as occasional features. She was also the lead reporter for NPR's coverage of the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.
    Ryan Lucas covers the Justice Department for NPR.