A suspicious envelope addressed to President Donald Trump intercepted by Secret Service on Monday, US authorities say. A suspicious envelope...
This comes as the FBI seized two envelopes suspected of containing ricin, which were delivered to the Pentagon and addressed to Defense Secretary James Mattis and Adm. John Richardson, the Navy's top officer. The envelopes were discovered at the Pentagon's mail screening center on Monday. However, neither of the envelopes entered the Pentagon as the mail screening facility is on Pentagon grounds, but separate from the main building, according to officials. These envelopes have been turned over to the FBI for additional testing. All mail that is being received at the screening facility on Monday is under quarantine and there is no threat to the 20,000 people who work at the Pentagon, Pentagon officials say. No one was ordered to evacuate the facility during the incident.
Two people were taken to the hospital after apparently being exposed to a white powdery substance at Sen. Ted Cruz's office in Houston Tuesday morning, authorities say. The FBI has taken over the investigation into the incident. Ricin is part of the waste "mash" produced when castor oil is made. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if it is made into a partially purified material or refined, ricin can be used as a weapon capable of causing death under certain circumstances. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.