Weeks before election, suspicious packages received by Members of Congress

Federal authorities are investigating more than 100 suspicious letters sent nationwide to members of Congress and state election offices.

Many of the envelopes—processed through a North Texas mail processing center and marked “Thinking of You”—contain an unknown white, powdery substance.

The FBI, Capitol Police, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are leading the nationwide probe, although initial tests on intercepted letters have not shown positive results for hazardous materials, and official analysis is ongoing.

Law enforcement sources said more than 100 letters believed to contain white powder were circulating in the U.S. mail system.

Over three dozen lawmakers across at least 20 states, including both Democrats and Republicans, have had envelopes intercepted or delivered to their district and state offices.

In New Jersey, the U.S. Postal Service intercepted a suspicious envelope targeting Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross before it reached his Cherry Hill office.

The Senate Sergeant at Arms first disclosed the investigation in a message sent to Senate offices, saying law enforcement officials were working to intercept any additional letters, but “it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations.”

An FBI statement said the bureau and the Postal Inspection Service were “investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices.”

“Some of the letters contained an unknown substance, and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident,” the statement read. “We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters.”

Mailed packages containing a powdery substance led to the evacuation of election offices in at least two states this week: Louisiana and Oklahoma. The Ohio secretary of state said the Postal Service intercepted a package containing a white powder intended for its office and noted that election officials in multiple states had received similar mailings.

News of the letters comes just three weeks before Election Day and recalls a similar threat in 2023, when election offices in six states received mailings containing a white powder. In some cases, the incidents disrupted work around local elections.

Some of those letters contained threats and traces of the powerful opioid fentanyl, leading some election offices to stock up on the overdose reversal medication naloxone.

The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement condemning what they said were threats against election staff.

“Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties,” they said.

Deputy Postal Inspector Brendan Donahue told reporters that “any threat or attack on election officials is unacceptable” and that “we are also working with our partners on identifying the individual or individuals responsible for the letters.”