Brandon Mayfield ( born July 15 , 1966 ) is an American in Washington County , Oregon , who was accused of being the bomber in the 2004 Madrid train bombings . On May 6 , 2004 , the FBI arrested Mayfield as a material witness in connection with the Madrid attacks , and held him for over two weeks . Mayfield was charged , and an FBI internal review later acknowledged serious errors in their investigation . Ensuing lawsuits have resulted in a formal apology from the U.S. government and a $ 2 million settlement . An initial ruling declared some provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act unconstitutional , but the United States government appealed , and the ruling was overturned
2004 Madrid train bombings
2004 Madrid train bombings
Brandon Mayfield