4 arrests made in stolen explosives case

Associated Press ^ | 11:48 p.m. ET Dec. 23, 2005 | Associated Press

[george76]

400 pounds of blasting material taken from storage depot in New Mexico...

Four men, including two brothers, were taken into custody Friday by federal authorities ...

Federal authorities have said it was enough to flatten a large building...

said Tom Mangan, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Federal authorities were processing a crime scene...

150 pounds of C-4, 250 pounds of sheet explosives, 20,000 feet of detonator cord and 2,500 blasting caps.

This breaking news story will be updated.

[george76]

Here is an earlier link, sorry.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1546367/posts

[emiller]

I swear, if one of the brother's names is achmed, mohammed, or Yasser I'm going to heave

[Travis McGee]

Or perhaps Earl and Bobby Joe?
Or even Pablo and Esteban?

[GloriaJane]

Glad they caught them.

[reformedliberal]

It doesn't make any difference who they were. Even if two American criminals stole this stuff, it could end up in the hands of terrorists once it gets into the black market pipeline.

It is just inventory.

Glad they caught them. This was so fast that it may have been some criminals well-known to the Feds.

[sport]

Or an informant.

[Katya]

we're always suspicious when they don't post the names...it's gotten to the point that they feel it will be prejudicial to the potential jury if the public learns the names are "muslim". Wonder why?

[zeaal]

Names?

[george76]

The latest...

The brothers, Leslie Brown, 44, of Ignacio, Colo., and David Brown, 49, of Bloomfield, face federal charges including possession of stolen explosives and felons in possession of stolen explosives, Dixie said.

Federal authorities refused to release the names of the other two people who were arrested in Bloomfield.

Another person was wanted in connection with the theft.

[reformedliberal]

Sure. I get suspicious, too. Likewise, in political stories, when the affiliation isn't mentioned, it is most likely a donk.

But this sort of story, IMO, is such that it doesn't matter. Anyone who will steal this sort of material is aware of its value to all sorts of criminals. Blond, blue-eyed Christians could steal it and by the second or third time it changes hands, it is in the terrorists' possession.

Not to mention all the loons who are ideologically on the side of the Islamofascists, regardless of their own ethnicity. There are too many people around who have no love nor care for this nation or any of its people.

I am not certain a Muslim name would pejudice a jury. Sami Al Arian's trial is an example.

[jordan8]

Federal authorities have said it was enough to flatten a large building

That's odd, it's usually enough to destroy half a city block.

[Redbob]

Or a couple goofballs who wanted a REALLY big New Year's celebration!

[george76]

Les Brown, 44, was arrested Friday after a tip led Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents to a home in Ignacio, Colo., near Durango.

They also arrested his brother, David Brown, 49, in Bloomfield, N.M., along with Eric Wayne Armstrong, 32.

The fourth man’s name has not been released, but police say he is being cooperative. He is said to be in his 40s.

Armstrong and the older Brown will appear in federal court early next week. Les Brown, since he was found in Colorado, will be sent to Denver.

All of the explosives were recovered at a storage facility south of Bloomfield, where authorities also found a suspected chop-shop and firearms, according to ATF spokesperson Tom Mangan.

...still searching for a fifth suspect, but haven’t released that person’s name.