The Texas Senate candidate, Beto O. Rourke, received threats from Sayoc, a gas bomb suspect, according to the campaign

Beto O 'Rourke, the Democrat challenging the US Senate seat to Senator Ted Cruz, received threats earlier this year from a Florida bombing suspect.

A spokesman for O 'Rourke, a Democrat in a fierce Senate race against Cruz, said that Cesar Sayoc had used Facebook to send threatening messages in April. O 'Rourke has not received a suspicious package in the mail, said spokesman Chris Evans.

Sayoc, 56, was arrested and charged on Friday in connection with a series of homemade bombs that were sent to fervent critics of President Donald Trump, including former President Barack Obama and the former secretary of the United States. State Hillary Clinton. Law enforcement officials told NBC News that Sayoc had a list of 100 potential targets and had researched political figures, journalists and artists.

Sayoc has been charged with five counts of indictment by the federal government: transporting explosives between states, sending explosives, threats against former presidents, threatening communications between states and assaulting current or former officials. He incurs up to 48 years in prison when he is convicted of all counts of indictment.

O 'Rourke has gained momentum in recent months and has delivered to Cruz, an outgoing Republican senator, a tough battle for reelection. O & # Rourke collected a record $ 38.1 million in the last quarter of fundraising, with more than 800,000 people contributing to his campaign.

Evans said the Facebook posts had been reported to the US Capitol police at the time. He added that FBI agents and dogs were also at their field office in El Paso.