HOULTON — A Canadian man who threatened to blow up a bus was arrested early this morning after a standoff that involved five law enforcement agencies.

Daniel Thomas Maccabee, 50, was arrested on charges of assault, aggravated reckless conduct and terrorizing.

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Daniel Thomas Maccabee, 50, was arrested on charges of assault, aggravated reckless conduct and terrorizing.

Houlton police learned of the bomb threat around 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday from U.S. Border Patrol, which secured the area around the Cyr bus. The bus was carrying seven passengers and was traveling north from Bangor.

Police said Maccabee had told the driver to go straight to the Canadian border without stopping in Houlton, but the driver went to the Irving truck stop on Route 1 as planned. Police said Maccabee assaulted three female passengers as they were getting off the bus.

Maccabee appeared to have a detonator that was connected by wire to a bulge under his jacket and shirt. Authorities eventually learned that Maccabee actually had a Wii controller with intercom wire, duct tape and a spiral-bound notebook. No explosive devices were found on the bus.

Maccabee, whose last known address was in Madison, Wis., said he had been detained in a hotel room by FBI agents in Washington, D.C., and that he wanted asylum in Canada, according to police. He said he had bomb-building experience and had worked for Israeli secret police, according to police. Police said his plan was to show his bomb to Canadian immigration authorities and demand asylum at the Israeli embassy in Ottawa.

State Police, who provided negotiators and a bomb squad, used a remote-controlled robot to communicate with Maccabee and provide live footage inside the bus.

Maccabee gave himself up as the tactical team was getting ready to extricate him with gas. Police said the entire incident lasted about nine hours.

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