A major criminal investigation has been launched after suspected bombs were sent to the homes of
Barack Obama,
Hillary Clinton and
CNN's headquarters.
The apparent explosive device targeting Mrs Clinton was discovered when screening post on Tuesday evening and the suspect packages targeting Mr Obama and the Time Warner Centre, which houses the CNN newsroom, were found on Wednesday.
It comes just days after George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist and prominent Democrat donor, was also targeted with a suspected pipe bomb.
The White House has condemned the attempted attacks, saying "these terrorising acts are despicable'".
Investigators were reportedly looking into whether the attacks were linked in any if there are similarities between the devices.
A full-scale manhunt is now underway to find the individuals responsible.
Where were the devices?One explosive device was found in a package sent to the home of Bill and Hillary Clinton in Chappaqua, New York late on Tuesday and was addressed to the former First Lady. The device was detected during a routine search of the post at the Clintons' home.
An anonymous police source said investigators believe the device is similar to one sent to Mr Soros, who regularly donates to liberal causes across the world.
A second suspicious package addressed to the home of Mr Obama, the former US president, was intercepted by Secret Service personnel in Washington DC early on Wednesday morning.
"The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such," the Secret Service said.
Officials said the devices were rudimentary but "functional explosive devices". Both packages were pro-actively detonated by officials.
An official said one of the packages had the return address of Representative Deborah Wasserman Schultz, an ironic reference to the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.
A third suspected bomb sent to CNN's New York newsroom was addressed to John Brennan, the former CIA director, the network said.
Was anyone harmed?Neither Mrs Clinton nor Mr Obama were at risk of receiving the packages, the agency said. It not yet known whether there are any injuries resulting from the suspicious device delivered to the CNN building.
Secret Service agents have increased security around both Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton. As a precaution, the New York Police Department's Intelligence, Counterterrorism and Bomb Squad teams are increasing patrols at high-profile locations in New York City, including media locations, an official said.
The attempted attacks on left-leaning figures come just two weeks before the US midterm elections.
Mrs Clinton was in Florida at the time campaigning for the Democratic party but Mr Clinton is thought to have been home at the time.
Mr Obama's whereabouts at the time are unknown. The former president lives in Washington DC, where his youngest daughter is still at school.
A spokesman for Barack Obama, the former president, declined to say where he or Michelle Obama were at home at the time the suspicious package was discovered.
The spokesman told The Telegraph that Mr Obama’s office would not be “providing info about their private schedules” and directed questions to the security services.
In a statement, the US Secret Service said: "The US Secret Service has intercepted two suspicious packages addressed to Secret Service protectees.
"Late on October 23, 2018, the Secret Service recovered a single package addressed to Former First Lady Hillary Clinton in Westchester County, New York.
"Early this morning, October 24, 2018, a second package addressed to the residence of Former President Barack Obama was intercepted by Secret Service personnel in Washington, DC.
"The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such. The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them.
"The Secret Service has initiated a full scope criminal investigation that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources to determine the source of the packages and identify those responsible."