An animal rights activist who spent 15 years on the FBI's Most Wanted list is now fighting to avoid extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States, where he faces charges for a series of political bombings two decades ago.
From Bay Area Bombings to a Welsh Hideaway
Daniel Andreas San Diego, now 47, is accused of planting three pipe bombs outside the headquarters of two Bay Area companies, Chiron Corporation and Shaklee Corporation, in August and September 2003. The bombings, which injured no one, were claimed by a group calling itself the Revolutionary Cells – Animal Liberation Brigade, which targeted the firms for their alleged links to the British animal testing company Huntingdon Life Sciences.
After becoming the FBI's prime suspect, San Diego vanished from San Francisco in October 2003, evading a tailing team in a dramatic disappearance down a city metro station. His life as a fugitive only came into clear focus following his arrest in November 2024 in the quiet northern Welsh hamlet of Maenan.
The 'Green Scare' and a Lasting Legacy
San Diego's case throws a spotlight on a significant period in American law enforcement history known as the post-9/11 "green scare". In 2005, an FBI counter-terrorism official told the US Senate that the "number one domestic terrorism threat" was the eco-terrorism and animal rights movement. This led to a widespread crackdown, with dozens of activists prosecuted.
Experts argue this era institutionalised the targeting of social movements. "The government's powers of going after social movements as terrorists have been inherited by an authoritarian, and measures that were considered radical after 9/11 are now viewed as normal," said journalist and author Will Potter.
San Diego was one of the last remaining fugitives from this crackdown. Born in Berkeley, California, he was a known figure in above-ground animal rights campaigning before the bombings. Evidence cited by prosecutors includes a wire stripper found in his car, which was allegedly matched to markings on wiring in the bomb debris.
A New Identity and a High-Stakes Legal Battle
After fleeing the US, San Diego built a new life in Britain under the alias "Danny Stephen Webb", using an Irish passport. He worked in IT for companies in London and Manchester before buying a home in rural Wales for £223,000 in cash in 2018.
His arrest has triggered a complex extradition fight in London's Westminster Magistrates' Court. His legal team, featuring prominent human rights barristers, is framing the case as a referendum on American justice. They argue that under a potential second Donald Trump administration, San Diego cannot receive a fair trial and faces a politically motivated prosecution.
His lawyers also contend the charges are "stacked" to force a plea deal and that he risks harm in US prisons due to his "high-risk" designation. The final evidence in his extradition hearing is scheduled for 8 December 2024, with a ruling expected in early January 2025. If sent back and convicted, San Diego could face up to 90 years in prison.
