Terrorists send ricin to Donald Trump – Major alert at Whitehouse and Pentagon
THE SECRET SERVICE has intercepted numerous packages suspected of containing ricin, a highly toxic poison made from castor beans, a US Defence Department spokesman has confirmed.
Suspected ricin detected in mail sent to Donald Trump
The packages - believed to have been intended for Donald Trump at the White House and key administration figures - were located at the Pentagon mail facility on Monday, and were put under quarantine following screening.
The contents of the packages have since been handed to the FBI for further investigation.
A Defence Department official stated that two of the packages were addressed to Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and Admiral John Richardson, the chief of naval operations.
The Secret Service also received a “suspicious envelope” addressed to President Donald Trump on Monday, but noted it was “not received at the White House, nor did it even enter the White House”.
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On Monday, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency detected a suspicious substance during mail screening at the Pentagon’s remote screening facility
They refused to comment further on the incident, but added they were “working jointly with our law enforcement partners to fully investigate this matter”.
Colonel Rob Manning said: “On Monday, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency detected a suspicious substance during mail screening at the Pentagon’s remote screening facility.
“All USPS mail received at the Pentagon mail screening facility yesterday is currently under quarantine and poses no threat to Pentagon personnel.”
The Pentagon mail delivery facility is located on the Pentagon grounds, but not in the main building where the offices of Secretary Mattis are located.
Two people were also taken to hospital after they were exposed to a “white powdery substance” at Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s office in Houston.
The Houston Fire Department reported the entire 9th floor of the Phoenix Tower was evacuated before tests confirmed the substance was not hazardous.
They said: “The evacuation order has been lifted for the office building at 3200 SW Fwy.
“All tests were negative for any hazardous substance.”
Ricin is a poison produced from castor beans, and is a by-product in the production of castor oil.
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It is highly lethal with no known antidote, and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted it can be used as a weapon when made into partially purified or refined material.
The CDC commented on the threat, saying: “Unintentional exposure to ricin is highly unlikely, except through the ingestion of castor beans.”
They added it would require a “deliberate act to make ricin and use it to poison people”.
In May 2013, letters laced with ricin were sent to individuals including President Obama and Michael R Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York by actress Shannon Richardson.
She was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2014.
