It is not clear who wants President Donald Trump out of the White House but according to the US secret service, they found two suspicious envelopes containing highly poisonous ricin addressed to the President. A statement by the Secret Service reveals that the envelopes were intercepted and did not make it to the White House.
According to the Pentagon spokesperson, the mail screening facility is now under quarantine so as to pose no threat to the Pentagon staff. The Secret Service said that they were working together with all other law enforcement partners to investigate this threat that was directed to the president.
DEVELOPING: Pentagon: At least 2 packages at Defense Dept. mail processing center at Pentagon campus are suspected to contain ricin; FBI is taking lead of investigation. – @MoshehNBC
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 2, 2018
Ricin is a highly potent toxin produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant and can be used in terror plots. A dose of ricin the size of a few grains of table salt is said to be harmful as it has the power to kill and adult human being.
If ingested, ricin can cause nausea, vomiting and internal bleeding of the stomach and intestines. It can also cause failure of the liver, spleen and kidneys and lead to death due to collapsing of the circulatory system.
JUST IN: Ricin detected in mail sent to the Pentagon https://t.co/tCnUmuODAb pic.twitter.com/RA1p5AjZdI
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 2, 2018
As we wait for the investigation reports, it is clear that no one was ordered to evacuate the facility during the incident as police confirm that there was no threat to the 20,000 people who work at the Pentagon.