MIAMI, FL — Handcuffed and wearing a tan prison jumpsuit, accused mail bomber Cesar Sayoc became teary-eyed when he spotted his estranged sister, Tina, in a packed Miami courtroom Monday. The 56-year-old Aventura man was making his first court appearance since being swarmed by federal agents at a Florida auto parts store Friday. He is charged in the terror-by-mail plot that targeted prominent Democrats and ex-officials of the Obama administration.

“The whole thing seems like a nightmare,” Miami attorney Ronald Scott Lowy told Patch as he left the courtroom with Sayoc’s sister, who declined to comment.

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U.S. District Judge Edwin Torres ordered Sayoc held without bail, but will take up the question again at a pretrial detention hearing scheduled for Friday in Miami. The judge may also order future proceedings moved to New York at that time.

“We’re not in a position to say anything,” added defense attorney Daniel Aaronson, who is representing Sayoc. He told Patch that he and his colleagues have been unable to sit face to face with Sayoc as they would with other clients.

“Have you ever spoken through a mesh screen that you can’t see through?” said Aaronson of the firm Benjamin, Aaronson and Edinger and Patanzo in Fort Lauderdale. “I only got to see him today for a total of about 15 minutes through that mesh.”

Aaronson said he represented Sayoc in other matters back in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Lowy represented Sayoc back in August of 2002 when he threatened to blow up a Florida Power & Light office in Miami.

Even so, Lowy told Patch he never expected Sayoc to be involved in anything as serious as the terror-by-mail plot for which he is accused.

“We are here to provide him any counseling we can, to encourage him to make wise decisions,” according to Lowy, who is representing Sayoc’s mother and two sisters. Sayoc’s mother was recovering from surgery on Monday and did not attend the hearing.

He said Sayoc cut off contact with his family about three years ago but that family members tried to see him after his arrest. They were unable to do so. He said Sayoc became teary-eyed when he saw his sister on Monday.

Lowy added that Sayoc’s best interests would be served by moving the court proceedings to New York as soon as possible, where he would have access to a well-funded public defender’s office.

“That’s where the trial will be and that’s where he needs to be getting his experts lined up,” said Lowy.

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