Florida Siblings Indicted After Explosive Device Left Near MacDill Air Force Base
Alen Zheng, 20, and Ann Mary Zheng, 27, U.S. citizens, have been federally indicted in Florida following the discovery of an explosive device left outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. Their mother has also been detained for overstaying her visa and is pending deportation, while the siblings had flown to China after the incident.
The incident involves serious federal charges for both siblings, with potential decades-long prison sentences.
Charges Filed Against Siblings
Alen Zheng faces charges of attempting to damage government property and unlawfully making and possessing an explosive device. These charges potentially carry a 40-year prison sentence.
Ann Mary Zheng is charged with witness tampering and being an accessory after the fact. She allegedly sold the car her brother used to drop off the package. Ann Mary faces a potential 30-year sentence.
The Incident and Investigation Details
The device, which did not detonate, was deemed capable of causing significant harm. It was discovered on March 16, nearly a week after Alen Zheng allegedly planted it on March 10. Minutes after planting the device, Zheng reportedly made a 911 call reporting a bomb at the base.
Following the alleged planting and 911 call, Alen and his sister swiftly sold their Mercedes-Benz SUV and departed for China by March 12.
Investigators utilized phone data to link the 911 call to Alen Zheng and identified the SUV through surveillance video. Evidence, including residue matching the explosive, was found in the car despite it being cleaned. Agents also located explosive device components during a search of the family's residence. The device itself was transported to an FBI laboratory for further examination.
Base Significance and Ongoing Efforts
MacDill Air Force Base hosts the U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia. The base has been under heightened alert since the conflict in Iran began.
Authorities are actively working to extradite Alen Zheng to the United States. There is currently no immediate evidence suggesting the siblings were acting on behalf of the Chinese government or any other country. Additionally, investigators have not found a connection between the Zhengs and another individual arrested this week for making unrelated threatening phone calls to the base.