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An explosive device was found Monday in a mailbox at the suburban New York home of George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist and Democratic megadonor often criticized by right-wing groups, authorities said.
The device was similar to a pipe bomb and contained explosive powder, according to a law enforcement official. Authorities detonated it as a precaution, and no one was injured, NBC New York reported.
Police in Bedford, a hamlet about 30 miles north of New York, said an employee of the residence in Westchester County received the package before 3:45 p.m. ET. After seeing what appeared to be an explosive device inside, the employee placed the package in a wooded area and called police.
Several law enforcement agencies were dispatched, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, both of which tweeted that there was no immediate threat to public safety. They provided no possible motive.
The device was sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quanitco, Virginia, for analysis, a law enforcement source told NBC NY.
Soros was reportedly not home at the time. A representative for him declined to comment Monday.
The 88-year-old business investor and Holocaust survivor has been a frequent target for his left-leaning political involvement, this year notably taking interest in the Florida governor’s race among other campaigns.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump claimed in a tweet that “Soros and others” paid for the signs used by sexual assault survivors to protest during Senate confirmation hearings against Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
The president also suggested last week that Soros is among the Democratic supporters funding the large migrant caravan traveling north from Honduras. There is no evidence, however, that the caravan is being led by anyone but Hondurans.