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Suspicious package with possible energetic materials found outside MacDill AFB visitor center

A suspicious package that resembled an improvised explosive device was found Monday outside the visitor center at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The FBI said the package contained possible energetic materials and investigators remain on scene as the probe and security response continue.

Discovered 2026-03-18T14:30:07.350099-07:00 | 2026-03-18T14:30:07.350099-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The FBI has confirmed the package contained "possible energetic materials" and the investigation and base security response are ongoing, posing immediate access and safety implications for a major U.S. military airbase.
The incident mirrors other recent bomb threats that triggered coordinated FBI, EOD and local police responses at aviation facilities, highlighting persistent ground-threat risks and the importance of multi-agency response protocols (multi-agency response).

Reported By

The Hill aerospaceglobalnews.com The Independent orlandosentinel.com Associated Press abcnews.com