Boston Marathon Bombing: What Did FBI Find In Raid Of Apartment?

Following the Boston Marathon bombing, the FBI executed a raid on the apartment of the yet-unidentified "person of interest" being supervised at a Boston hospital. The man, only described as a 20-year-old Saudi Arabian national in the United States allegedly on a student visa, was not home at the time of the raid, and neither was his roommate, Mohammed Bada, sometimes cited as Mohammed Badawood.

Bada returned home around 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday to a collection of law enforcement vehicles and FBI agents combing his apartment in nearby Revere, Mass. After agents informed him why they were at the apartment, Bada told the press that his roommate, the "person of interest" was "a sweet kid, a kind person." Bada claimed the man could never have committed the terroristic acts at the Boston Marathon.

"My roommate is a student," Bada said, noting he had been in the Revere apartment less than half a year. "I am not telling you his name because it is not fair to him," Bada claimed.

Authorities later removed a number of bags including a duffel bag from the apartment.

The Daily Mail of Britain reported that a number of neighbors in the high rise complex rubbernecked to the fifth floor where the search was going on. Resident Jim Sudmeier took the elevator down to check out the scene but promptly returned to his floor after allegedly receiving a long silent stare from officials near the elevator shaft.

When Bada's roommate, the "person of interest" was picked up by police, he allegedly told them he merely went to the finish line of the Boston Marathon to see the runners come in. Sources told the New York Post that the man "smelled of gunpowder" and said "I thought there would be a second bomb."

The "person of interest" then allegedly asked whether there were any deaths from the explosions. The British paper reported that there allegedly was an individual seen on tape carrying "multiple backpacks into the area 20 minutes" prior to the explosions. The bombs were said to be made out of "pressure cooker" appliances stuffed with buckshot-type projectiles.

The fact that a Saudi national is allegedly being held has led to criticism in Washington of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's "trusted traveler" program reaching out to citizens of countries like Saudi Arabia before closer allies such as France and England.

Napolitano called a meeting with Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, a "commitment to more effectively secure our two countries against evolving threats while facilitating legitimate trade and travel," according to Politico. Napolitano's agreement was finalized in January. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee penned a letter along with some of his colleagues questioning Napolitano's actions.

"Of the 19 individuals who hijacked American planes on September 11, 2001, 15 were from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," McCaul wrote, demanding that the country's history of being the source of individuals involved in terrorist activity should be a "factor in determining who to admit into the Global Entry Program."

An official at Homeland Security later told Politico that the agreement was made assuming both countries would jointly enforce background checks and look for "red flags that would disqualify participants."

Further details on the identity of the 'person of interest' in the Boston Marathon bombing are still developing. Authorities are also searching for a "rental van" that may be linked to the bombing.