Peruvian National Arrested for Hoax Bomb Threats Targeting US Synagogues & Jewish Community Centers

Peruvian National Arrested for Hoax Bomb Threats Targeting US Synagogues & Jewish Community Centers

Edited by: TJVNews.com

In a disturbing series of events, a Peruvian national named Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos has been arrested for sending over 150 hoax bomb threats across the United States earlier this month, according to the US Justice Department’s announcement on Thursday. As was reported by The Algemeiner, these threats were directed at synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, and various other institutions, leading to widespread panic and disruption.

The threats, which were made between September 15th and 21st, spread fear across five states: New York, Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. According to the Algemeiner.com report, Nunez Santos’ sinister campaign didn’t spare airports, hospitals, or even a shopping mall, resulting in significant disruptions ranging from shutting down religious services to evacuating thousands of schoolchildren. Flights were delayed, and a hospital was forced to go on lockdown.

Federal prosecutors have revealed that Nunez Santos also engaged in another troubling activity. He allegedly solicited sexually explicit photographs from a teenage girl and other children, initiating his bomb threat campaign “in retaliation against her and other minors” who had rejected him, the Algemeiner.com report said.

“As alleged, the defendant’s relentless campaign of false bomb threats caused an immediate mobilization by federal and state authorities, diverting critical law enforcement and public safety resources, and caused fear in hundreds of communities across this country,” US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a statement.

He added that, “The charges unsealed today show that those who engage in such conduct, wreaking havoc on our communities, will not find safe haven merely because they do it from outside our borders. Working together with our law enforcement partners, we will find you, and we will prosecute you.”

The US Justice Department tracked Nunez Santos’ activities by tracing his digital signatures, including email and IP addresses. As was noted in the Algemeiner.com report, he now faces multiple charges, including transmitting threatening interstate communications, conveying false information and hoaxes, attempted sexual exploitation of a child, and attempting to procure child pornography. If convicted on all counts, he could potentially face several decades in prison or even a life sentence.

The arrest of Nunez Santos has been met with relief and appreciation from various US Jewish groups. Michael Masters, the national director and CEO of the Secure Community Network, a Jewish security nonprofit, expressed gratitude for the diligent efforts of law enforcement across the country and the world, as was reported by the Algemeiner.

“Thanks to the diligence, professionalism, and coordination of law enforcement and intelligence across the country and the world, the perpetrator responsible for terrorizing multiple institutions across various states — to include the Jewish community over the High Holidays — with dozens of hoax bomb threats is now in custody,” Masters said, according to the Algemeiner.com report.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also commended the arrest, acknowledging the significant impact of these threats on the Jewish community during the High Holidays.

The ADL added: “Grateful for the efforts of US Attorney Williams … and other local and state law enforcement that led to this individual’s charges in connection with over 150 hoax bomb threats — some of which targeted Jewish institutions over Rosh Hashanah.”

This arrest is part of a broader context of rising anti-Semitic incidents in the United States. In 2022, these incidents increased by 36 percent, and this troubling trend has continued into the current year. The Algemeiner.com report also said that he ADL reported a staggering 3,697 anti-Semitic incidents in the US in 2022, the highest number since they began tracking them in 1979. These incidents included harassment, vandalism, and assaults, with hotspots in New York, California, New Jersey, Florida, and Texas.

The acts of hate targeted Jewish institutions and synagogues with particular frequency, leading to 589 recorded incidents. Among these were a hostage situation at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, and 91 bomb threats, the highest number since 2017, the Algemeiner.com report added.

While the arrest of Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos represents a significant step toward addressing this alarming trend, it is a stark reminder of the need for continued vigilance and efforts to combat hate crimes and bigotry in all its forms.