U.S. law enforcement authorities say the pipe bombs that were mailed to several high-profile Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are crudely built devices that are similar in appearance.
The devices were placed inside manila envelopes lined with bubble wrap, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said. Computer-printed address labels were on the packages as were six first-class stamps, the law enforcement agency said. The postage was more than needed for shipment, according to a New York Times report citing a former law enforcement official who was briefed on the investigation.
The packages also had a return address of Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. Schultz was accused by Clinton rivals of secretly helping Clinton, who eventually won the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2016.
Suspicious packages have been seized in New York, Washington, Delaware, Florida and California.
The devices found Wednesday were about 15 centimeters long with a small battery attached, according to a law enforcement official who saw X-ray images and spoke on anonymity in order to speak about the ongoing investigation. The official also said the bombs were made with PVC pipe, covered with black tape, and packed with powder and broken glass.
As the devices are found, they are sent to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, nearly 18 kilometers south of Washington.
Authorities said Wednesday bomb technicians would try to determine where the bomb components were bought or where they were built. Technicians will also attempt to recover fingerprints or traces of DNA from the parts and the envelopes that contained the devices.
