Mail With Suspicious Powder Sent to Congress Members

U.S. mail being processed at a San Francisco Processing and Distribution Center in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Congressional staff members were warned to stay alert after a Senate state office and a House district office received mail containing a powdery substance, a law enforcement official said on Feb. 23, according to media reports.

The powder was declared harmless by officials, but authorities warn that more letters might be on the way.

“The author of these letters has indicated that additional letters containing a powdery substance will be arriving at more Senate offices and that some of these letters may contain an actual harmful material,” said Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer, according to Politico.

He added, “Although all letters received thus far have proved harmless, it is essential that we treat every piece of suspicious mail as if it may, in fact, be harmful.”

Gainer did not mention which offices were targeted but said to keep a look out for letters postmarked from Portland, Ore.

In 2001, anthrax-laced letters were sent to several news organizations and Senate offices, which killed five and injured 17.