A former animal rights activist who was once on the run from the FBI for over seven years has claimed the agency offered him a deal to provide information about Daniel Andreas San Diego, a fugitive arrested this week in Wales. Peter Young, 47, now living in Boulder, Colorado, said the FBI approached him twice seeking intelligence on San Diego, who had been on the FBI's 'most wanted terrorists' list for nearly two decades.
San Diego, 46, was arrested on Monday in Maenan, between Conwy and Betws-y-Coed, by officers from the UK's National Crime Agency and North Wales Police acting on a request from the FBI. He is alleged to have been involved in two bombings in San Francisco in 2003—one at a biotechnology firm and another at a nutritional products company. The FBI had offered a reward of up to $250,000 (£200,000) for information leading to his arrest.
Young, who was jailed in 2005 after hiding in the UK, said the FBI contacted him in 2019 to retrieve belongings confiscated from his apartment. During the meeting in Oakland, California, agents asked about San Diego's whereabouts and proposed a deal. 'At that point, I just ended the conversation,' Young said, adding he did not learn what the FBI would offer in return.
Young dismissed the idea of an 'underground railroad' for fugitives, stating that any support he received came from personal connections. 'It's no different than if you fall on financial hard times. Who do you call? You call the people you know,' he said. He also noted that San Diego's lifestyle appeared more stable than his own, as Young relied on shoplifting and constant movement during his years on the run.
Young expressed sympathy for San Diego, saying he would follow the case closely and hoped for a good outcome. The FBI has not commented on Young's claims.
