The White House is seen, July 30, 2022, in Washington. The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday night while President Joe Biden was at Camp David after the Secret Service discovered a suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing and an investigation. Preliminary investigation showed the substance to be cocaine, two law enforcement officials said Tuesday.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
The White House is seen, July 30, 2022, in Washington. The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday night while President Joe Biden was at Camp David after the Secret Service discovered a suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing and an investigation. Preliminary investigation showed the substance to be cocaine, two law enforcement officials said Tuesday.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
WASHINGTON – The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday night while President Joe Biden was at Camp David after the Secret Service discovered suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing and a Preliminary testing showed the substance to be cocaine, two law enforcement officials said Tuesday.
Secret Service agents were on their usual Sunday patrol when they found the white powder in a tour group area, not any specific West Wing office, officials said. official said. Officials were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The complex was evacuated around 8:45 p.m. Sunday when fire and emergency crews were brought in to conduct a rapid test, which initially identified cocaine. The White House soon reopened and the powder was sent out for further testing.
Biden and his family left Camp David on Friday and returned to the White House on Tuesday.
The Secret Service said in a statement that the White House was closed as a precaution as emergency teams investigated, and the District of Columbia fire department was called in to assess and determine that the substance was not dangerous. .
“The item has been sent for further evaluation and an investigation into how and why it got into the White House is pending,” the Secret Service said.
