Two siblings have been federally indicted after an explosive device was discovered outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa earlier this month. One suspect has fled to China while his sister remains in custody facing witness tampering charges.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Federal prosecutors have filed charges against two siblings following the discovery of an explosive device outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa earlier this month, with one suspect having escaped to China.
Alen Zheng, 20, and his sister Ann Mary Zheng, 27, received separate federal indictments on Wednesday. While Ann Mary Zheng remains in federal custody, her brother has fled the country, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on social media.
The younger Zheng faces three federal charges: attempting to damage government property, unlawfully making a destructive device, and possessing an unregistered destructive device. The indictment directly references the suspicious package discovered at MacDill.
His sister faces charges of witness tampering and serving as an accessory after the fact in her brother’s case.
Neither defendant has legal representation listed in court documents.
The investigation began when authorities discovered a suspicious package outside the base on March 16, triggering an FBI probe. MacDill serves as headquarters for U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations across the Middle East, Central Asia, and portions of South Asia. The installation has maintained elevated security measures since hostilities began in Iran.
Separately, authorities arrested another individual this week for making threatening phone calls to the base following the device discovery, though investigators have not linked that suspect to any explosive devices. No connection has been established between the phone caller and the Zheng siblings.
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