Brother and sister indicted in connection with explosive device found outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Two siblings, Alen Zheng and Ann Mary Zheng, have been charged in connection with an improvised explosive device left outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on March 16; Alen fled to China while Ann Mary is in custody.
- The device, found at the base's visitor center, did not detonate but was considered potentially deadly; Alen faces charges including attempted damage of government property and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
- Ann Mary Zheng is charged with evidence tampering and accessory after the fact for helping her brother flee and destroy evidence; she returned to the U.S. on March 17 after leaving for China.
- Investigators linked Alen Zheng to a 911 call reporting the bomb and found components of the device in his home; the siblings purchased plane tickets to China and sold their vehicle shortly after the device was planted.
- MacDill Air Force Base hosts critical U.S. military commands involved in ongoing operations, making the security breach significant to national safety and defense efforts.
