Siblings indicted after IED found at MacDill Air Force Base, FBI says
USA Today • • nation
Key Points:
- A brother and sister, Alen Zheng, 20, and Ann Mary Zheng, 27, face federal charges after an improvised explosive device (IED) was found at MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa, Florida, on March 16.
- Alen Zheng is charged with explosives offenses, including attempting to destroy the base's visitor center, while Ann Mary Zheng faces charges of evidence tampering related to altering a vehicle.
- FBI Director Kash Patel stated that Alen Zheng is currently in China, while Ann Mary Zheng is in custody in the U.S.
- MacDill Air Force Base, headquarters for U.S. Special Operations Command (CENTCOM), has been on high alert since the war in Iran began on February 28 due to potential retaliatory threats.
- The arrests follow another incident involving Jonathan James Elder, who was arrested for making threatening calls to the base on March 18, coinciding with the discovery of the suspicious package.
