Animal rights activist on US 'most wanted terrorist' list arrested in UK after 2 decades
An alleged animal-rights extremist on the U.S. most-wanted terrorist list since 2009 in connection with the bombing of a California biotechnology firm has been arrested in the United Kingdom, the FBI said on Tuesday.
Daniel Andreas San Diego, 46, was arrested in an operation with several British law enforcement agencies and in coordination with U.S. federal agents, the FBI said in a statement. San Diego was added to the most wanted terrorist list for bombings around California targeting companies believed to be working with Huntingdon Life Sciences, a medical research company.
The FBI has said that San Diego openly expressed extreme views advocating the use of violence to achieve the goals of the animal rights movement.
The first bomb detonated at Chiron Life Science Center in Emeryville, California, on Aug. 28, 2003, federal agents said. Emeryville is about 10 miles east of San Francisco. Authorities discovered a second bomb, which was diffused, lending law enforcement to believe it was intended for first responders. The FBI said a third bomb blew up nearly a month later at a company in Pleasanton, California.
An entity calling itself the Revolutionary Cells claimed responsibility for the attacks in statements posted to a pro-animal rights website, citing the targeted firms' alleged links to Huntingdon Life Sciences, which had been criticized by animal rights activists over its use of animal testing.
No one was injured or killed in either blast, the FBI said. San Diego fled the country in October 2003. He was indicted in July 2004 in U.S. District Court for the bombings and other charges.
“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,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
Bombs targeted places with perceived ties to research company
In 2003, federal prosecutors said San Diego planted the bombs as part of an extremist measure to protest against Huntingdon. The FBI said on its most wanted website that further violence was threatened by activists if companies didn't end their partnerships with the research company.
The FBI said San Diego sought to destroy property, cause economic hardship and possibly kill people with the bombings. He became the first American added to the most wanted terrorists list in 2009.
Revolutionary Cells claimed responsibility for the bombings and said at the time the firms were targeted because of perceived links to Huntingdon Life Sciences. The pharmaceutical company is now known as Inotiv after 4,000-plus beagles were rescued from its Virginia facility. The company came under fire after a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report found more than 300 puppies died due to "unknown causes" and Inotiv failed to take additional steps to investigate the deaths or prevent similar deaths.
Federal agents also said San Diego was involved with the international animal rights group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty.
San Diego is charged with damaging and attempting to damage a building with explosives and owning an explosive to commit a crime, according to court papers. It's unknown when he will be extradited to the U.S. and if prosecutors will file additional charges.
Contributing: Reuters.
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter,@KrystalRNurse.