According to related information, a journalist for a television station in Ecuador detonated a USB flash drive he received in the mail as soon as he plugged it into a USB port. The USB drive in question contained a small amount of RDX, a military chemical explosive. Through the USB connection, the current from the PC acted as a catalyst to cause an explosion.
According to information from local television stations, the police and the Associated Press, no one was injured because the explosion was weak. Ecuadorian police determined that only half of the explosives contained on the flash drive had detonated. In Ecuador, four other USB flash drive bombs were shipped to journalists and broadcasters, three of which failed to explode and one was leaked by the courier. Authorities have so far identified one suspect and the investigation is ongoing.
A criminal organization is suspected as a suspect, because the victim journalist is responsible for the crime and corruption. In fact, there are hundreds of attacks on journalists and media in Ecuador each year. So far, no USB bomb has harmed anyone, but even a small amount of explosive material inside a plastic or metal case can cause serious injury when detonated by sharp fragments.
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