Animal rights activist Daniel Andreas San Diego, 46, who was listed as one of the world's 'most wanted terrorists' after planting two bombs at a biotechnology corporation in California in 2003, has been found hiding in the remote Welsh countryside.
The bombs detonated an hour apart at an Emeryville campus in San Francisco in August 2003, but mercifully no one was injured. San Diego fled the United States and went to ground in rural Wales, where he evaded authorities for 21 years.
The Fugitive's New Identity
San Diego eventually arrived in the quiet hamlet of Maenan near Llanrwst, North Wales, under the alias Danny Webb. He purchased a bungalow in 2023 for £425,000 and told unsuspecting neighbours that he worked in IT. The property, a minimalist three-bedroom home with a lounge and kitchen-dining room, was tucked away on a hillside, accessible only via a 1.5-mile single-track road and a steep dirt track. This isolation provided him with a vantage point over the Conwy Valley and the main road in and out of the hamlet.
Bombings and the Animal Liberation Brigade
San Diego was linked to the Animal Liberation Brigade, which claimed responsibility for several bombings targeting corporations with ties to animal testing. A year after the Emeryville bombings, another bomb wrapped with nails to produce shrapnel detonated at the Shaklee Corporation in Pleasanton, California. Again, no one was injured. Both targets were linked to Huntingdon Life Sciences, an animal-testing laboratory with headquarters in Cambridgeshire, UK.
San Diego was arrested and questioned by US police but went on the run after being released. His fingerprints were later found on bomb-making equipment. He became the first domestic terror suspect on the FBI's most wanted list and was described as 'armed and dangerous'. The bureau highlighted his skills as a computer specialist and offered a $250,000 reward for his capture.
Life in Hiding
San Diego moved to the UK and created the alias Danny Webb, replacing his first name and adopting a surname that reflected his technological abilities. The alias was eight months older than San Diego and was born in Ireland, not the US. The previous owner of the bungalow, Aled Evans, said the home was ideal 'if you wanted to keep your head down'. He sold it to San Diego for £15,000 above the asking price. Evans recalled: 'He was quite excited because there was a big woodland at the back, he was into his mountain biking and that's what sold it to him, apparently. It sounded like the ideal place he wanted - but he wanted it for other reasons.'
Arrest and Extradition
San Diego appeared five times on the Fox programme America's Most Wanted before his arrest in November 2024. The National Crime Agency, alongside North Wales Police, took him into custody near Conwy. He is currently held at Belmarsh Prison in London and faces extradition to the USA. The property he left behind is heading to auction for £300,000.
Background and Tattoos
The FBI noted that San Diego followed a vegan diet, was a skilled sailor, and had travelled internationally. He had numerous tattoos, which may have been significantly altered or covered. One tattoo on his chest depicted burning hillsides with the words 'it only takes a spark', while others showed burning and collapsing buildings on his abdomen and lower back, and a single leafless tree on his lower back.
FBI Director Christopher Wray stated: 'There's a right way and a wrong way to express your views in our country, and turning to violence and destruction of property is not the right way. Daniel San Diego's arrest after more than 20 years shows that no matter how long it takes, the FBI will find you and hold you accountable.'
An NCA spokesperson confirmed: 'On Monday 25 November 2024, officers from the National Crime Agency, supported by colleagues from Counter Terrorism Policing and North Wales Police, arrested Daniel Andreas San Diego, aged 46, in the Conwy area of Wales, at the request of the US authorities.'
