“Contains white powder.” Suspicious packages confuse American states before the elections

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Postal Service are investigating letters “containing suspicious materials” sent to election and congressional offices. Election offices in several US states reported receiving suspicious mailings containing a white powdery substance.

Officials in the states of Louisiana and Oklahoma said that such messages had been received on Tuesday, noting that they had evacuated their election offices while law enforcement agencies intervened to deal with the situation.

For his part, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said yesterday, Wednesday, that his office was “the target” of receiving one of these suspicious letters, but the Postal Service was able to intercept it.

No injuries were reported in any of these incidents.

In a statement issued yesterday evening, Wednesday, the FBI said that “a series of suspicious correspondence” was sent to “various addresses throughout the country, including the offices of the secretaries of state and their election offices.”

The office said: “Some of the messages contained an unknown substance, and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to deal with each incident individually. We are also working with our partners to determine the identity of the person or people responsible for sending these messages.”

In turn, the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors expressed their deep concern about these incidents.

A joint statement issued by the two organizations said: “As we previously stressed, there is no place for threats against election officials and workers in our democratic system, as those who manage our elections should not fear for their safety while performing their essential duties.”

The statement continued: "It is not unusual for election officials in various parts of the country to receive suspicious or threatening messages. Packages containing powder have previously been sent to election officials in at least six states a few weeks before the 2024 presidential elections."

In a statement to CNN, John Cohen, former acting undersecretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis, said that the incidents reported this week show that “in the current threat environment, election officials and law enforcement must be prepared to deal with a broad spectrum of cyber and physical threats.”

Cohen added: “The bad side is that threats are evolving rapidly, are dynamic and dangerous, and take advantage of technology. The good side is that officials at the state and local levels are more prepared than ever to confront these threats.”