Initial field tests indicated that the substance was cocaine
File photo of the White House in Washington DC © Getty Images / Mark Wilson/Getty Images
The US Secret Service has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of suspected cocaine at the White House on Sunday, according to American law enforcement officials.
The discovery of the substance, a small amount of white powder, led to the brief evacuation of the executive mansion on Sunday. Initial field tests suggested that it was cocaine, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing an unnamed official with knowledge of the matter.
An investigation into “the cause and manner” of the substance has been opened, according to Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi. He added that further testing will be conducted to fully determine the makeup of the substance.
The Washington DC fire department, however, indicated that the white powder did not pose a threat to White House staffers. The Secret Service blocked off roads near the presidential residence but the closures were soon lifted.
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Guglielmi did not elaborate on where the substance had been found in the White House, but indicated that it was discovered by the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service, who were conducting routine security sweeps of the building. US President Joe Biden was not on the premises at the time of the discovery.
An 8:49pm dispatch on Sunday from a member of the Washington DC Fire Department’s hazardous materials teams called in the results of a preliminary test of the substance, telling colleagues: “We have a yellow bar saying cocaine hydrochloride.”
Fire Department official Vito Maggiolo confirmed that firefighters had “provided support to the US Secret Service as they conducted an investigation.”
The radio message was logged on a website called OpenMhz, which broadcasts police and fire department transmissions to the public, the Washington Post noted in its report on Monday.
The newspaper added that its source had confirmed that the message had been relayed from the White House on Sunday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the case being an active investigation.
