The United States law enforcement agents during the week intercepted a poisonous package addressed to President Donald Trump, sources told CNN.
It was reported that two tests conducted on the package confirmed the presence of ricin, a highly toxic compound extracted from castor beans that has been used in terror plots.
Ricin can be used in powder, pellet, mist, or acid form and if ingested, can cause nausea, vomiting, and internal bleeding of the stomach and intestines, followed by failure of the liver, spleen, and kidneys, and death by collapse of the circulatory system.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Secret Service were said to be investigating the matter.
“The FBI and our US Secret Service and US Postal Inspection Service partners are investigating a suspicious letter received at a US government mail facility. At this time, there is no known threat to public safety,” the FBI told CNN in a statement.
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The report stated that all mails for the White House were usually sorted and screened at an offsite facility before reaching the White House.
Trump, who was inaugurated as the 45th US President in January 2017, is seeking re-election in November.