WASHINGTON – The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday night when President Joe Biden was at Camp David after the Secret Service discovered suspicious powder in an area of the West Wing, where the presidential offices are located, and preliminary analysis revealed it to be cocainetwo police officers said Tuesday.
During a routine inspection Sunday, Secret Service agents found the powder in an area accessible to tour groups, not in an office, the agents told The Associated Press, who spoke on condition of anonymity for an investigation. in progress.
The compound was evacuated Sunday at around 8:45 p.m. and emergency crews arrived to conduct a preliminary examination, which found cocaine. The White House was reopened and the powder was sent to the lab.
Biden and his family went to Camp David on Friday and returned to the White House on Tuesday.
The Secret Service said in a statement that the presidential mansion was closed as a precaution and the capital’s fire department was called to determine if the substance was dangerous.
“The object was sent for evaluation and the cause and manner of its entry into the White House will be investigated,” the Secret Service said.
