The FBI and the US Postal Inspection Service are investigating letters sent to state officials and election offices across the United States that contain an unknown substance, confirmed on Thursday. The investigation, launched weeks before the US midterm elections, involves a series of suspicious shipments sent to various addresses.
Election officials in Louisiana and Oklahoma received envelopes containing a powdery substance, leading to evacuations. A similar package with white powder was intercepted by the US Postal Service before delivery. In Oklahoma, state police determined that the substance sent to the state capitol complex was not dangerous.
The chief of staff of the US Senate informed members of the upper chamber on Thursday of the investigation, in a message received by the Associated Press. The notice stated that law enforcement is working to intercept additional mail, but that some may still reach its destination. Federal authorities have urged recipients to treat the mail as potentially hazardous.
Brendan Donahue, a senior official at the US Postal Inspection Service, confirmed the investigation into the suspicious shipments during a press conference on Thursday. "We are committed to protecting the nation's election officials from threatening and dangerous mail. Any threat or attack on an election official is unacceptable," Donahue said. The US Postal Inspection Service directed the Guardian to the FBI.
The FBI stated in a release that it is investigating a series of suspicious shipments sent to various addresses, including the offices of state secretaries of state and their associated election officials, along with the US Postal Inspection Service. "Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with partners to respond to each incident," the statement read. "We are also working with partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters." The FBI declined to comment on what the substance in question might be.
The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) and the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) issued a joint statement on Wednesday expressing concern over the mail containing unknown substances. "We are deeply concerned about these incidents," they wrote. "As we have stated previously, threats to election officials and workers have no place in our democracy. Those who conduct our elections should never have to fear for their safety while performing their essential duties."
Incidents of this nature are not new. During the 2024 elections, at least 14 election offices across the country received mail containing white powder, and in some cases, the substance was found to be flour. In 2023, election offices in six states also received mail containing white powder, with traces of fentanyl, a powerful opioid, found in some instances.
