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Ryan Lucas, NPR

Suspicious packages found at military installations around DC

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

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 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.