The FBI, U.S.Capitol Police and U.S.
Postal Inspection Service are investigating “multiple letters containing suspicious substances that were mailed to various addresses nationwide, including multiple Congressional offices,” according to a notice that senior staff in Senate offices received Thursday morning.“Law enforcement officials are working to intercept any additional letters before they are delivered, however, it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations,” the notice said, according to two people who received it.
The notice included an image of one of the suspicious envelopes and said that the letters “may contain different variations of postage stamps.” It also warned that suspicious letters, packages or substances “should be treated as potentially hazardous and handled in accordance with established safety protocols.” The notice outlined how staff should handle the items and noted that mail and packages delivered to Senate offices or the Capitol complex are screened and tested for potential threats.The U.S.
Postal Inspection Service and Capitol Police referred questions from NBC News to the FBI, which confirmed in a statement that the agencies are investigating “a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices.” The agency did not specify the locations of the offices targeted.“Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident,” the statement said.“We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters.”The notice sent to Senate staff did not say whether the congressional offices involved are the ones in Washington, D.C.
or local and regional offices.Congress is on recess leading up to the midterm elections, so most lawmakers are back home in their districts as they campaign in ...