According to two law enforcement authorities, a suspicious substance discovered in the West Wing of the White House has been identified as cocaine in a preliminary test.
Once Secret Service officials discovered the powder, the White House was briefly evacuated on Sunday evening while President Joseph Biden was visiting Camp David.
The agents were performing normal rounds on Sunday when they discovered the white powder in a West Wing location accessible to tour groups, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the Associated Press.
The West Wing is linked to the president’s executive residence and houses the Oval Office, cabinet room, and press area, as well as offices and workspace for the president’s advisers and employees.
The powder was found in a common area and not in any particular office, the officials said.
The White House was evacuated at about 8.45 pm on Sunday as fire and emergency crews were brought in to do a rapid test.
The Secret Service said the closure was a precaution as emergency crews investigated.
They added the District of Columbia fire department was called in to evaluate and determine that the substance was not hazardous.
The Washington Post has reported that the fire department identified the white powder as being cocaine.
A recording of a dispatch call made at 8.49 pm local time on Sunday reveals a firefighter saying: “We have a yellow bar stating cocaine hydrochloride.”
The White House was soon reopened after it was evacuated and the powder was sent for further testing.
“The item was sent for further evaluation and an investigation into the cause and manner of how it entered the White House is pending,” the Secret Service said.
Mr Biden and his family left for Camp David on Friday and returned to the White House on Tuesday.
