Federal prosecutors have charged brother and sister Alen Zheng and Ann Mary Zheng in connection with an improvised explosive device found outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The device was discovered at the base's visitor center on March 16, after being planted on March 10. Alen Zheng fled to China, while his sister remains in custody.
Authorities unsealed indictments on Thursday against Alen Zheng and Ann Mary Zheng for their roles in leaving an improvised explosive device at MacDill Air Force Base's visitor center. The base, located in Tampa, Florida, houses U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, and the Air Force's Air Mobility Command, which support operations including those in the Middle East. U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe described the site as crucial to U.S. safety, noting it contains important assets for national defense. He stated the device, though it did not detonate, could have been potentially deadly, and the perpetrators seemed to hold strong views against U.S. government actions, though the motive remains unknown. Kehoe said a 911 call reported a bomb on the base minutes after it was planted on March 10, but security did not locate it immediately. It was found on March 16 in a secluded area by base personnel responding to a suspicious package, which initial screening identified as containing possible energetic materials. Investigators linked Alen Zheng to the 911 call via a phone purchased at Best Buy, as shown in footage. A search of his home uncovered components matching the device, and his mother and sister acknowledged to agents that he had planted it. On March 11, the siblings bought plane tickets to China and sold the vehicle used to transport the device. They departed Tampa on March 12, but Ann Mary Zheng returned on March 17. Alen Zheng faces charges of attempted damage to government property by explosion, unlawfully making a destructive device, and possessing an unregistered destructive device. His sister is charged with evidence tampering and being an accessory after the fact for aiding his flight and destroying evidence. She appeared before a judge Thursday. FBI Director Kash Patel affirmed on social media that the FBI will pursue all responsible parties globally. Ann Mary Zheng is in custody.
