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Delco man arrested with cache of explosives like those used in Philly ATM blasts

Officials say Juan Cortez had been selling M-80s, M-100s and M-1000s, all of which are illegal to possess in the United States.

Juan Cortez is charged in a case involving explosives and ATM machines.
Juan Cortez is charged in a case involving explosives and ATM machines.Read moreATF

Law enforcement agencies investigating a series of blasts targeting ATMs in Philadelphia have arrested a 29-year-old Delaware County man and charged him with possessing a cache of M-type explosives, officials said Thursday.

Philadelphia Highway Patrol officers who stopped a car driven by Juan Cortez, of Collingdale, found 80 M-type devices in his vehicle and arrested him Monday, authorities said.

After obtaining a search warrant, investigators backed by the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division Bomb Squad found more devices at Cortez's home, along with records of sales of the explosives.

The seized devices ranged in sizes from 2½ to six inches and are commonly referred to as M-80s, M-100s, and M-1000s, which are also called "quarter sticks," the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said.

The ATF, along with arson investigators from the Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments, have been probing a series of explosions triggered by M-type devices at ATMs and commercial establishments in the city since June 3.

"These devices contain enough explosive material to cause serious bodily injury, and in certain cases, death," the ATF said in a statement.

During the investigation, Cortez had been identified as a person of interest in the case and undercover agents had purchased explosives from him before he was arrested, the ATF said.

The state Attorney General's Office, which will prosecute the case, said Cortez has been charged with four counts each of weapons of mass destruction, risking a catastrophe, and carrying explosives.