The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating suspicious letters containing an unknown substance sent to government officials and election offices across the United States.
Just weeks before the November midterm elections, election officials in Louisiana and Oklahoma received envelopes containing a powdery substance, prompting evacuations. Similar packages were also reported in Ohio and Arizona, where an envelope opened by staff at the Secretary of State’s office triggered an emergency response and evacuations at the state Capitol.
“This is a jarring moment that highlights the reality of administering elections in this country today,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said. Authorities reported no injuries, and an investigation is underway.
Federal law enforcement officials have warned that additional suspicious mail may still reach its intended destinations and urged recipients to treat incoming mail as potentially dangerous.
Brendan Donahue, a senior official with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said authorities were committed to protecting election officials from threatening and hazardous mail, stressing that any threat or attack against an election official is unacceptable.
The FBI confirmed that it was investigating multiple suspicious mailings sent to addresses across the country, including election offices, in coordination with postal inspectors.
Similar incidents occurred during the 2024 election cycle, when at least 14 election offices received mail containing white powder. Some samples turned out to be flour. In 2023, election offices in six states received similar packages, and some were found to contain small amounts of fentanyl, a powerful opioid.
