Multiple pieces of mail containing a “suspicious substance” were flagged at the Pentagon Monday, a Pentagon spokesperson told Faithwire Tuesday.
“On Monday, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency detected a suspicious substance during mail screening at the Pentagon’s remote screening facility,” said Col. Rob Manning in a statement. “The envelopes were taken by the FBI this morning for further analysis.”
“All USPS mail received at the Pentagon mail screening facility yesterday is currently under quarantine and poses no threat to Pentagon personnel,” the statement continued.
Multiple news outlets reported Tuesday that two packages containing the poison ricin were under FBI analysis.
NEW: More than one package suspected of containing ricin has been identified in the Pentagon's Central Processing Center, a Pentagon spokesperson tells @ABC. https://t.co/7TQvrTE43T
— ABC News (@ABC) October 2, 2018
JUST IN: Ricin detected in mail sent to the Pentagon https://t.co/tCnUmuODAb pic.twitter.com/RA1p5AjZdI
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 2, 2018
The Pentagon has yet to reveal the individual for whom the harmful substance was intended, but The Weekly Standard reported Tuesday morning that a hazardous materials response team was spotted at Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s campaign office in Houston “to investigate a mailed envelope that contained a white powdery substance.”
According to Houston Fire Department officials, two individuals were taken to the hospital Tuesday after being exposed to the powder described in the report.
Two people were taken to the hospital after apparently being exposed to a white powdery substance in an office building at 3200 SW Fwy. The 9th floor of the Phoenix Tower has been evacuated as HFD HazMat is responding to the scene working to determine the nature of the substance.
— Houston Fire Dept (@HoustonFire) October 2, 2018
Thankfully, less than one hour after the initial report, the evacuation order was lifted and the tests came back negative for any hazardous substance.
The evacuation order has been lifted for the office building at 3200 SW Fwy. All tests were negative for any hazardous substance.
— Houston Fire Dept (@HoustonFire) October 2, 2018
This is a developing story. Faithwire will provide relevant updates as they become available.