The White House was briefly evacuated on Sunday after suspicious powder, preliminarily tested as cocaine, was found in the West Wing.
Incident details: A routine check by Secret Service agents on Sunday led to the discovery of white powder in a common area of the West Wing, accessible to tour groups.
* The White House was evacuated around 8:45 p.m. Sunday so rapid testing could be conducted by fire and emergency crews.
* Preliminary testing of the powder suggested it was cocaine, leading to its further testing.
Authorities’ response: The Secret Service said that the White House was closed as a precautionary measure and the District of Columbia fire department evaluated the substance.
* After the initial investigation, the substance was determined as non-hazardous and the White House was reopened.
* The Secret Service stated that an investigation into how the substance got into the White House is pending.
President’s location: President Joe Biden, who was at Camp David when the incident occurred, left for the location on Friday and returned to the White House on Tuesday.
* It’s not specified whether the incident affected the President’s schedule or prompted extra precautions.
This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.
Leave a Reply