US authorities investigate suspicious letters sent to senators and election offices

Federal investigators are probing a series of letters containing “potentially hazardous” substances that have been mailed to US congressional and state election offices.

The FBI and the US Postal Inspection Service said they are working to trace the mailings, some of which were intercepted before reaching their intended recipients. While the exact number of targeted offices has not been disclosed, several secretaries of state and congressional offices have confirmed receipt.

At least five Democratic senators’ offices were sent the letters, including those of California’s Alex Padilla, Connecticut’s Chris Murphy, New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Senate leader Chuck Schumer and Delaware’s Lisa Blunt Rochester. Most of these parcels were seized before delivery.

State election officials also reported suspicious packages. Delaware’s Department of Elections opened a letter containing a white powdery substance, and both the Oklahoma State Election Board and the Louisiana secretary of state received similar mail. Louisiana’s office was briefly evacuated after a staff member opened a package, but it was later reopened when law enforcement found no harmful material.

Additional reports indicated that the New York State Capitol in Albany and the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne received suspicious parcels, according to an emergency‑responder scanner feed.

Authorities stressed that the incidents underscore the risks faced by public servants and election officials, especially in the run‑up to the 2024 US midterm elections.

Source: BBC News. Photo: Kindel Media / Pexels.