One of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives has been arrested in the Welsh countryside.
Daniel Andreas San Diego, 46, has been on the FBI’s “most wanted terrorists” list for almost two decades for his alleged involvement in two office building bombings in San Francisco in 2003.
The FBI had offered a reward of up to $250,000 (£200,000) for information leading directly to his arrest and considered him “armed and dangerous”.
He was arrested on Monday “at a property in a rural area next to woodland” in the Conwy area of north Wales by specialist officers from the national extradition unit of the National Crime Agency (NCA). The officers were supported by colleagues from counter-terrorism policing and North Wales police, an NCA spokesperson said.
The arrest took place at the request of the US authorities, which are seeking to extradite San Diego, who is an American citizen, back to the US to face charges there.
He appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday as the extradition proceedings began, and was then remanded in custody.
According to the FBI wanted poster, San Diego “has ties to animal rights extremist groups”, followed a vegan diet, possessed a handgun and had a number of tattoos, including of burning hillsides and buildings.
The poster states that on 28 August 2003, two bombs exploded approximately one hour apart on the campus of a biotechnology corporation in Emeryville.
Then, on 26 September 2003, one bomb strapped with nails exploded at a nutritional products corporation in Pleasanton.
San Diego was indicted in the United States district court, northern district of California in July 2004 over his alleged involvement with these crimes, according to the FBI.
The 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.”
