Described as Booby-Trap : Explosives Discovered in SEAL Team Sailor’s Home

Police arrested a member of a local Navy Sea Air Land (SEAL) team early Wednesday on suspicion of possession of a destructive device after explosives were found in the man’s apartment.

Detective Denis Love of the Metro Arson Strike Team said police responded to a call about a family scuffle at the Morena Boulevard apartment of Bruce Russell, 22, and began a search after a member of the Russell’s family told police about the explosives. They found what appeared to be a military explosive device and plastic explosives.

A member of SEAL Team 5 in San Diego, Russell was arrested at 12:30 a.m. at the apartment and taken to County Jail, where he is being held in lieu of $5,000 bail. Jail officials said Russell is also being detained under a Shore Patrol hold.

The San Diego Fire Department Explosives Ordinance Detail disarmed the device, police said. Love declined to describe the type or potency of the explosives.

He said the device was essentially a booby-trap designed to explode when accidentally activated, and said it might have exploded “had we walked into the apartment unaware.” A police spokesman described the device as “dangerous when used in close proximity.”

Love said the case will be presented to the district attorney’s office Monday.

Chief Petty Officer Paul Versailles, a spokesman for Commander Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, said Russell is stationed at a Naval amphibious base in Coronado.

Versailles said he did not know how accessible military explosives were to Russell because he was not fully aware of Russell’s duties. Versailles said he expects military authorities to examine the evidence and possibly take action by the end of the week.

SEAL teams are the special warfare elite commando units of the Navy. Members are trained for such tasks as mining enemy ships and assaulting beach positions. They also are taught to use explosives.