The White House underwent a brief evacuation on Sunday evening while President Joe Biden was at Camp David.
This was prompted by the discovery of suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing, as revealed by two law enforcement officials on Tuesday.
Preliminary testing of the substance conducted by the Secret Service indicated that it was cocaine.
The discovery occurred during routine rounds by Secret Service agents on Sunday. The white powder was found in an area accessible to tour groups rather than within a specific office within the West Wing, according to the officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity due to the ongoing investigation.
Following the identification of the substance, the complex was evacuated at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Sunday.
Fire and emergency crews were promptly summoned to conduct a rapid test, which provided a preliminary confirmation of the presence of cocaine.
Subsequently, the White House was reopened, and the suspicious powder was sent for further testing to ascertain its composition and nature.
President Biden, accompanied by his family, departed for Camp David on Friday and returned to the White House on Tuesday.
The Secret Service issued a statement explaining that as a precautionary measure, the White House was temporarily closed while emergency crews conducted an investigation.
The District of Columbia fire department was summoned to assess and confirm that the substance discovered was not hazardous.
“The item was sent for further evaluation and an investigation into the cause and manner of how it entered the White House is pending,” the Secret Service said.
