White powder in the White House: Secret Service reportedly discovers cocaine

Washington DC - A small amount of white powder reportedly identified as cocaine was discovered in the White House on Sunday evening, prompting a brief shutdown and a Secret Service investigation.

The Secret Service discovered a white powder reportedly identified as cocaine in the White House.
The Secret Service discovered a white powder reportedly identified as cocaine in the White House.  © 123RF/digidreamgrafix

The suspicious substance was discovered during a routine inspection on Sunday around 6 PM, in a work area of the West Wing, according to Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service.

The White House campus was briefly shut down and people were evacuated while response workers determined if the substance was hazardous.

Per media reports based on a website that logs the police and firefighter radio communications, the substance was tested and results came back positive for cocaine.

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"We have a yellow bar saying cocaine hydrochloride," an official said in a radio dispatch sent at around 9 PM Sunday, per the New York Times.

Guglielmi would not confirm the reports and said the substance was still being investigated, as were the circumstances in which it made its way into the White House.

President Joe Biden was not in the White House at the time of the discovery, having left for Camp David to spend time with his family.

Cover photo: 123RF/digidreamgrafix

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