MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, which houses US Central Command (CENTCOM), was the site of an explosive device incident earlier this month that has now led to federal charges against a man who fled to China and his sister, officials said Thursday.
Alen Zheng, 20, and Ann Mary Zheng, 27, were each charged in separate indictments issued Wednesday. Authorities said Ann Mary Zheng was taken into custody after returning to the US from China, where she had traveled with her brother after the incident. Both are US citizens, according to US Attorney Gregory Kehoe.
Kehoe said law enforcement would pursue those responsible for threats or acts of violence in the Middle District of Florida.
Prosecutors allege that Alen Zheng attempted to damage federal property and illegally produced and possessed an explosive device. He faces a possible sentence of up to 40 years if convicted. Ann Mary Zheng is accused of assisting after the act and attempting to interfere with the investigation, charges that carry a potential sentence of up to 30 years.
Officials said the investigation advanced quickly after a suspicious package was located outside the base on March 16. Authorities concluded the device had been placed on March 10 and that a 911 call alerting officials to the threat was made by Alen Zheng. Initial searches conducted by Air Force personnel did not uncover the device.
According to investigators, the siblings sold a Mercedes-Benz SUV the day after the call and then departed for China. Ann Mary Zheng later returned to the US. By that stage, authorities had connected the emergency call to Alen Zheng using phone records and had identified the vehicle through surveillance footage. Although the SUV had been cleaned, investigators said they were still able to recover traces linked to the explosive material.
During a search of the family home, agents reported finding items consistent with components used in assembling an explosive device. The device itself was later transported to an FBI facility in Huntsville, Alabama, for examination, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor.
Officials noted there is currently no evidence suggesting Alen Zheng was acting on behalf of a foreign government. Efforts are underway to bring him back to the US to stand trial.
MacDill Air Force Base is home to US Central Command, which oversees military activity in the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia. The base has remained on elevated alert amid ongoing regional tensions.
Separately, authorities this week arrested another individual suspected of making threatening phone calls to the base after the device was found. Investigators said there is no known connection between that individual and the Zheng case.