By Steve Neavling
An animal-rights activist accused of bombing two San Francisco-area buildings over 20 years ago — and once listed among the FBI’s most-wanted terrorists — was arrested in Wales on Monday, the FBI announced Tuesday.
Daniel Andreas San Diego, 46, was wanted in connection with the 2003 bombings at Chiron Corporation in Emeryville, Calif., and Shaklee Corporation in Pleasanton, Calif. Both companies had ties to animal testing, the FBI said.
San Diego allegedly planted two bombs at Chiron on Aug. 28, 2003, intending to harm first responders by timing the second bomb to detonate an hour after the first. The second device was found and neutralized. A month later, he allegedly detonated a nail-filled bomb at Shaklee, designed to inflict severe injuries.
Although no one was hurt in the attacks, the FBI said the construction and timing of the bombs indicated intent to cause serious harm. The explosions caused minor property damage.
San Diego fled in October 2003, evading capture for over two decades. He was added to the FBI’s most-wanted terrorist list in 2009, becoming only the second U.S. citizen on the list at the time. A $250,000 reward was offered for information leading to his arrest.
“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,” FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said Tuesday. “There’s a right way and a wrong way to express your views in our country, and turning to violence and destruction of property is not the right way.”
The FBI said San Diego, a former computer specialist for an animal-rights group in Mill Valley, Calif., had ties to an international network of animal-rights extremists and was suspected at one point of hiding in Costa Rica.
Federal authorities coordinated with British officials to arrest San Diego but have not disclosed further details about his capture or whether the reward will be distributed. His current location and detention status remain unclear.
