A fugitive on the FBI's "Most Wanted Terrorist" list was captured this week after more than 20 years on the run, officials said.
On Tuesday, officials announced that a suspected animal rights extremist accused of carrying out bombings in the San Francisco area had been arrested in the United Kingdom.
Who Is the Fugitive?
Daniel Andreas San Diego was apprehended Monday in a rural area of northern Wales, according to the National Crime Agency. After a Tuesday appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court, he was ordered to remain in custody and now faces extradition.
San Diego, 46, faces charges in the United States for allegedly planting two bombs that detonated about an hour apart on the morning of August 28, 2003, at a biotechnology company in Emeryville, California. He is also accused of setting off a nail-studded bomb at a nutritional products company in Pleasanton, California, just one month later.
Although the bombings caused no injuries, authorities stated that the device at the biotechnology company was designed to target first responders.
The Revolutionary Cells-Animal Liberation Brigade claimed responsibility for the bombings, citing the companies' connections to Huntingdon Life Sciences. The organization had been a frequent target of animal rights extremists due to its work testing experimental drugs and chemicals on animals under contracts for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other industries.
In a statement, FBI Director Christopher Wray said, "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."
"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," Wray added.
San Diego was raised in an upper-middle-class suburb in Marin County, just north of San Francisco. His father served as the city manager of Belvedere, an affluent nearby community. According to the FBI, San Diego worked as a computer network specialist, was an accomplished sailor, and was known to carry a handgun.
FBI Most Wanted Terrorist
In 2009, San Diego became the first domestic terrorism suspect to be placed on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List. Authorities offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
San Diego's photos were displayed on billboards across the country, from California to New York's Times Square, according to the FBI. He was also featured multiple times on the television program America's Most Wanted.
The FBI was monitoring San Diego on October 6, 2003, when he parked his car near downtown San Francisco and disappeared into a transit station. He had not been seen since that time until his arrest. Authorities received numerous reports of sightings worldwide, with investigations stretching from Massachusetts to Hawaii.
The National Crime Agency reported San Diego's arrest at a property near wooded areas in Conwy, a coastal region in Wales located roughly 5,000 miles from San Francisco. Further details were not disclosed.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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