(Scypre.com) – A substance with suspicious properties was discovered within the premises of the White House’s West Wing on Sunday, leading to a necessary evacuation and emergency response.
The United States Secret Service’s Uniformed Division initiated a precautionary closure of the White House complex on Sunday evening, as they commenced an investigation into an unidentified item found within a designated work area.
The DC Fire Department was promptly summoned to assess the situation, determining the item to be non-hazardous. Subsequently, the item was secured for further examination, and an inquiry into the circumstances and means by which it entered the White House is currently underway, as stated by the Secret Service.
An undisclosed official, who claims to possess knowledge of the ongoing investigation, disclosed to The Washington Post that the suspicious item tested positive for cocaine.
Upon the discovery of the package, a specialized hazardous materials (hazmat) team was dispatched to the vicinity of 18th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
In response to the incident, the Secret Service took measures to block off surrounding roads near the White House.
According to multiple officials and a recorded dispatch from a responding D.C. fire crew, a preliminary test suggests that the white powder discovered within the White House on Sunday evening, which led to a temporary evacuation, is suspected to be cocaine.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, stated that further testing is being conducted to confirm the substance’s identity, while authorities are actively investigating how it entered the White House. The D.C. fire department has determined that the substance does not pose a threat.
The finding prompted an increased level of security alertness and a brief evacuation of the presidential residence, with President Biden not being present at the time. Guglielmi mentioned that there is an ongoing investigation to ascertain the cause and manner by which the substance made its way into the White House.
Specific details regarding the exact location within the White House where the substance was found and its packaging were withheld by Guglielmi. He did disclose that it was discovered during routine rounds conducted by members of the Secret Service’s Uniformed Division.
A recorded transmission from the D.C. department’s hazardous materials team, timestamped at 8:49 p.m., confirmed the test results as “cocaine hydrochloride.” The transmission was documented on the openmhz.com website, which permits the public to listen to live and archived radio communications from fire and police departments.
One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing nature of the case, verified that the 8:49 transmission corresponded to the White House incident on Sunday night. The official described the quantity of the substance as small.
Vito Maggiolo, spokesperson for the D.C. fire department, provided a brief statement confirming their support in assisting the U.S. Secret Service with their investigation.