A Florida man has been charged with sending 13 packages containing explosive devices and pipe bombs to CNN and several prominent Democrats, all vocal critics of Donald Trump.

Cesar Altieri Sayoc Jr, 56, was arrested in Plantation, Florida, outside an auto-parts store and faces up to 48 years in prison, according to the US Justice Department.

The suspect has a long criminal record dating back to 1991 and appears to have a social media presence full of tweets and posts in support of the president and Republicans.

Mr Biden and Ms Waters both received two separate packages, bringing the total to 13.

It began with a package containing an explosive device sent to billionaire George Soros, who has contributed millions of dollars to the Democrats.

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Geoffrey Berman, the US Attorney of the Southern District of New York, said Mr Sayoc is being charged with five counts: interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of an explosive, threats against former presidents, threatening interstate communications, and assaulting federal officers.

“The defendant’s conduct is cowardly, reprehensible, and totally anathema to our democracy,” Mr Berman said at a press conference.

Mr Sessions, during the same press conference, reminded Americans Mr Sayoc is innocent until proven guilty under the US criminal justice system but later noted: “We do believe we’ve caught the right guy.”

However, he also said “this is a law and order administration” and warned the government would prosecute anyone “regardless of political beliefs” should they resort to such crimes, “especially political violence”.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said: “Today’s arrest is a testament to the strength of our partnerships” in the law enforcement community and commended his agents as well as those from other agencies, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and New York and Florida police.

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He said “these were not hoax devices,” contrary to a line pushed by several supporters of Mr Trump on social media channels.

According to the director each package contained a “six inch PVC pipe, a small clock, a battery, wiring and energetic material”.

The material, Mr Wray said, would make the bombs “‘functional’ if subjected to the right combination of heat, shock or friction”. He also said “certain of the mailings included photographs of the target-recipients marked with a red “X”.

Mr Wray also confirmed all the packages had the same return address, that of US House Democrat from south Florida Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is also former chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

He added that a fingerprint on a package sent to congresswoman Maxine Waters had been key in identifying the suspect.

There is also “a possible DNA association” between a prior sample of Mr Sayoc’s DNA and a sample taken from packages sent to Mr Obama and Ms Waters.

Despite the praise he received following the rapid arrest, he cautioned it “doesn’t mean we’re all out of the woods..[there] may be other packages in transit now”.

Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN Show all 11 1 /11 Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN Barack Obama The Secret Service intercepted a package en route to the Washington D.C. residence of former President Barack Obama on Wednesday 23 October Getty Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN Hillary and Bill Clinton A package was delivered to the Chappaqua, New York home of former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Tuesday 23 October Getty Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN Joe Biden Two packages adressed to former Vice-president Joe Biden were found at a sorting facility in Delaware on Thursday 25 October AFP/Getty Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN George Soros A package was delivered to the New York home of Billionaire investor and funder of the Democrats George Soros on Monday 22 October AFP/Getty Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN CNN and John Brennan A package was delivered to former CIA director John Brennan at the CNN offices in New York on Wednesday 23 October Getty Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN Debbie Wasserman Schultz A package was delivered to the office of Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Wednesday 23 October, it was addressed to former attorney general Eric Holder Getty Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN Eric Holder The package that was delivered to the office of Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was addressed to former attorney general Eric Holder Getty Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN Maxine Waters Two packages were sent to Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters on Wednesday 23 October, one to LA one to D.C. Getty Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN Robert De Niro A package was delivered to actor Robert De Niro in New York on Thursday 25 October AFP/Getty Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN Cory Booker A package found in Florida was addressed to Democratic Senator Cory Booker on Friday 26 October Getty Explosive packages sent to prominent Democrats and CNN James Clapper NYPD intercepted a package addressed to former directo of national intelligence James Clapper on on Friday 26 October AFP/Getty

He would not elaborate on the total number of packages or where they could have been sent.

According to his Facebook profile, Mr Sayoc is originally from Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in Florida and attended high school in Miami Beach.

The registered Republican reportedly lived in Aventura, Florida, at the time of his arrest but that he could have been before he was kicked out of his parents’ home and he began living in his van.

The white van seen outside of his arrest location was covered in stickers in support of Mr Trump and vice president Mike Pence. The political paraphernalia also included a sticker that read “CNN sucks”. It could be seen, covered in blue tarp, and being towed away for further investigation.

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Mr Sayoc worked as a catering manager for a company called Native American Catering and Vending in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Native American tribes like the Seminole Tribe of Florida have said Mr Sayoc has no affiliation with them either as a member or employee.

Public records also indicate his home was foreclosed on in 2009, which led to him declaring bankruptcy in 2012.

His social media is littered with images of him wearing the president’s signature “Make America Great Again” red hat and there is at least one video of Mr Sayoc chanting Mr Trump’s name at an indoor political rally.

According to the Miami Herald newspaper, Mr Sayoc stopped posting on his Facebook profile in October 2016 after a series of Trump rally videos.

Mr Sayoc, at one point, frequently posted memes hitting out at Democrats and Islam, which one meme he posted characterised as “a barbaric evil cult”.

One particular post from September 2016 read: “Hilary Clinton health decline and headed to graveyard where she has had many executed. The lord delivering death and America will celebrate.”

Mr Sayoc’s criminal record dates back to at least 1992, when he was arrested on theft charges in Miami-Dade county.