(The Center Square) – Law enforcement officials say an envelope sent to President Donald Trump tested positive this week for the poisonous substance ricin.
According to The Washington Post, the envelope was mailed from Canada. It was detected at an off-site screening facility before even reaching the White House grounds.
According to The Hill, the matter is being investigated by the FBI and the Secret Service.
“The FBI and our U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service partners are investigating a suspicious letter received at a U.S. government mail facility. At this time, there is no known threat to public safety,” a spokesperson for the FBI told the political news website.
The New York Times reported that a Canadian woman had been identified as a suspect, and that another ricin-laced envelope had been intended for a federal office in Texas. CNBC reported that prison facilities were the intended destination for an unknown number of ricin-laced letters.
Ricin is produced from castor beans and has been used in a number of attempts to poison prominent figures over the years.
The Twitter account for the FBI’s Washington office said that there was no cause for the general public to be concerned.
“The FBI and our U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service partners are investigating a suspicious letter received at a U.S. government mail facility,” the agency wrote. “At this time, there is no known threat to public safety.”
#FBIStatement: “The FBI and our U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service partners are investigating a suspicious letter received at a U.S. government mail facility. At this time, there is no known threat to public safety.” pic.twitter.com/jsBMIsDHbt— FBI Washington Field (@FBIWFO) September 19, 2020
By Dave Lemery | The Center Square
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Reposted with permission
