Charged: Explosive Device at MacDill Air Force Base Uncovers Global Flee

Alen Zheng and Ann Mary Zheng face charges related to an explosive device found at MacDill Air Force Base. Alen has fled to China, while Ann is in custody. They are accused of damaging government property and witness tampering. The base has been under heightened alert due to Middle Eastern tensions.

A man has fled to China and his sister is in custody after being charged in connection with an explosive device left at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. Alen Zheng, 20, and Ann Mary Zheng, 27, face federal indictments over the suspicious package found this month.

According to an FBI report, Alen Zheng is charged with attempting to damage government property and making an unlawful destructive device. Ann Mary Zheng, meanwhile, is charged with witness tampering and acting as an accessory after the fact in her brother's case.

The incident highlights heightened security at MacDill, base of the U.S. Central Command, due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Another individual was arrested separately for making threatening calls to the base, yet no connection to the explosive device has been confirmed.

(With inputs from agencies.)