Officials have detected ricin, a deadly poison found in castor beans, in an envelope that was sent, apparently from Canada, to President Donald Trump.
The packet intercepted by the FBI carried a letter and a substance that tested positive for ricin.
The envelope “appeared to come from Canada,” and that law enforcement “is investigating possibly similar envelopes addressed to authorities in Texas.”
In 2014, a Mississippi man admitted to sending ricin-laced, threatening letters to then-President Barack Obama and Republican Sen. Roger Wicker as well as a county judge.
“Ricin is an incredibly dangerous biological toxin – just a few tiny grains can kill a human,” U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna said in a 2019 case, in which a California man pleaded guilty to attempting to buy ricin.
There’s no antidote for ricin, which can kill a person within 36 to 72 hours of exposure.
No suspect had been identified as of early Sunday. No other details are known about similar packets sent to officials in Texas.
Leave a comment