Donald Trump Was Reportedly Sent Poison Ricin That Was Intercepted By Law Enforcement
President Donald Trump was directly sent a package containing poison ricin that was intercepted by law enforcement on Saturday, CNN reported. According to the publication, the package was intercepted and screened at an offsite facility that funnels all White House mail before reaching the property. Two tests allegedly confirmed the presence of the toxic compound.
“Ricin is a highly toxic compound extracted from castor beans that has been used in terror plots,” the report read.
“It can be used in powder, pellet, mist or acid form. If ingested, it causes nausea, vomiting and internal bleeding of the stomach and intestines, followed by failure of the liver, spleen and kidneys, and death by collapse of the circulatory system.”
As The Inquisitr reported, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims that exposure to ricin is rare. The most commonly known occurrence is due to the ingestion of castor beans, which can release the toxic chemical if their coat is chewed or broken. Ricin exposure can lead to death within 36 to 48 hours of exposure, and there is no known antidote.
An official that spoke to The New York Times claimed that investigators believe the package was sent from Canada. The Secret Service and FBI are reportedly investigating the incident.
In a statement to CNN, the bureau’s Washington field office suggested that the incident is not linked to any danger to the American public.
“The FBI and our U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service partners are investigating a suspicious letter received at a U.S. government mail facility. At this time, there is no known threat to public safety.”
Trump and his administration were previously threatened by a Utah man who sent letters that contained natural ingredients used in the creation of ricin. As reported by USA Today, the man was ultimately indicted in 2018 on seven counts. In addition to Trump, the series of letters were sent to CIA Director Gina Haspel, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and then-Defense Secretary James Mattis.
In 2014, a Mississippi man sent ricin via letters to former President Barack Obama and a Republican senator, which were also intercepted. The same year, actress Shannon Richardson was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for sending ricin in letters to various public figures, including Obama and Michael Bloomberg.
Notably, American counterterrorism officials said in 2011 that they were tracking the possibility that Al Qaeda was using ricin to carry out terrorist attacks on the United States.
