Early tests indicate a letter sent to the White House this week contained cyanide, the Secret Service said Tuesday night.
The letter returned a “presumptive positive” test, the agency said, and an investigation is ongoing.
The letter initially tested negative when examined an off-site mail center on Monday, but further testing Tuesday delivered the positive result. The envelope now has been transported to another facility for further tests.
Because of the “ongoing investigation, the Secret Service will have no additional comment,” Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said.
A law enforcement official told CNN there was no danger to the person at the facility who opened the letter.
The incident was first reported Tuesday by The Intercept, which said the envelope contained a “milky substance” inside a plastic bag tucked inside the envelope.
The sender is someone known to the Secret Service and is responsible for other packages sent to the White House over the past two decades, including a 2012 package that contained alcoholic beverages, the Intercept reported.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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