Daniel Andreas San Diego, a suspect in two bombings in San Francisco, has been apprehended in northern Wales after evading capture for over 20 years, according to U.S. officials.
San Diego, who has been on the FBI’s most wanted list, was arrested in a rural part of northern Wales. This arrest marks the end of a decades-long search spanning various countries and continents. Appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, San Diego has been detained pending extradition to the United States.
Charged with the detonation of two bombs on August 28, 2003, at a biotechnology firm in Emeryville, California, San Diego is accused of targeting the facility early in the morning. The FBI asserts that one bomb was specifically intended to harm first responders. Additionally, San Diego is alleged to have planted a bomb laced with nails at a Pleasanton nutritional products company the following month.
The group Revolutionary Cells-Animal Liberation Brigade took responsibility for these attacks, attributing their actions to the companies’ associations with Huntingdon Life Sciences. This organization has been a focus of animal rights activism due to its involvement in laboratory testing on animals for various industries, including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized the commitment to capturing fugitives, stating, “Daniel San Diego’s arrest after more than 20 years as a fugitive for two bombings in the San Francisco area shows that no matter how long it takes, the FBI will find you and hold you accountable.” San Diego’s case was notable enough to earn him a spot as the first suspected domestic terrorist on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist List in 2009, with a $250,000 reward offered for information leading to his capture.
San Diego’s background is diverse. Having grown up in a well-to-do suburb near San Francisco, his professional life included work as a computer network specialist. He was known for his sailing skills and his tendency to carry a firearm. His ability to evade capture was evident in 2003 when he vanished near a San Francisco transit station while under FBI surveillance, leading to reported sightings across the globe from Massachusetts to Hawaii.
The National Crime Agency has confirmed San Diego’s arrest occurred near a wooded property in the Conwy area of Wales, roughly 5,000 miles away from his original crime scenes in San Francisco. Details on the circumstances of his capture remain sparse.
The capture of Daniel Andreas San Diego brings closure to a lengthy search for justice in a case that intertwined with animal rights extremism and domestic terrorism concerns. This arrest highlights the persistent efforts of law enforcement agencies in securing justice, regardless of how long it takes.
Source: CNN
