An Australian citizen who was arrested on Capitol Hill after a bomb scare will be expelled from the United States for violating his visa, a U.S. immigration official said on Tuesday."The terms of visa waivers include a public safety provision and we can send someone back home for violating that," said a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security's immigration and customs enforcement bureau.
Wenhao Zhao, an Australian of Chinese descent, caused a ruckus on Monday after he stood outside the Capitol with two black suitcases and demanded to see President Bush. The area was evacuated, roads were closed and tours stopped.
Several helmeted police officers tackled the man and dragged him away before a hazardous materials response team moved in to check the suitcases. Zhao put up no resistance.Authorities feared the cases might contain explosives and after taking X-rays of them, blew up one of the bags that appeared to have suspicious wires. They hand searched the other bag.
No explosives or other dangerous materials were found, and police said the wires were part of a CD player.
A U.S. government official said it was unlikely Zhao would be charged with a criminal offense. Police had considered charging him with disobeying a police officer.
Zhao arrived in the United States on April 8, entering through Los Angeles.
A spokesman for the Australian Embassy in Washington declined comment on the matter.
