‘White Powder’ Prompts White House Evacuation, Probe Underway

The suspicious "white powdered substance" was found at White House prompting a brief evacuation, the reports said on Tuesday.

According to the report in The Washington Post the United States Secret Service found a suspicious substance at the White House on Sunday evening.

The law enforcement authorities added that the team is currently investigating the same, it said.

The report quoting an official and the audio of a transmission from Washington D.C. fire unit that responded to the incident said the drug, a white powder, tested positive for cocaine in a preliminary test.

Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, stated that the authorities are understanding how the white powder got into the White House, it said.

The further testing is also underway to determine what it exactly it is Guglielmi, quoting the fire department, added that the substance "did not present a threat".
Guglielmi, the report said also informed that President Joe Biden was not present in the White House at that time, but the incident induced a security alert and brief evacuation of the Executive Mansion, as per the outlet. 

He as per the report emphasised that "an investigation into the cause and manner" of how the substance entered the White House is ongoing.

However, the spokesperson refused to comment on where the item was discovered or how it was packed. 

He stated that it was uncovered by officers of the Secret Service's Uniformed Division while performing normal patrols through the complex, the report said.

A fireman from the department's hazardous materials squad recorded the audio of a transmission from a DC fire unit, which was timestamped at 8:49 pm, as per The Washington Post. 

"There's a yellow bar that says cocaine hydrochloride," he said, as per the report. 

Although the specific amount of the chemical has not been revealed, an official involved with the inquiry described the quantity as minimal, the report said.