The investigation into the bag of cocaine found at the White House has concluded, with no suspects identified.
In a statement from the Secret Service, the organization emphasized that it implemented safety closures after discovering the cocaine and that it then “field tested and preliminarily determined” the drug “to not be a hazardous compound”.
Cocaine in the White House: a brief historyRead more
They said the US Department of Homeland Security’s National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center later analyzed the cocaine for any biothreats and those tests came back negative.
On how the item came to be inside the White House, the Secret Service said it conducted a “methodical review of security systems and protocols” that spanned “several days prior to the discovery of the substance”. They “developed an index of several hundred individuals who may have accessed the area where the substance was found” before ultimately concluding there was “insufficient DNA was present for investigative comparisons”.
“Without physical evidence, the investigation will not be able to single out a person of interest from the hundreds of individuals who passed through the vestibule where the cocaine was discovered,” their statement continued. “At this time, the Secret Service’s investigation is closed due to a lack of physical evidence.”
A source told CNN that the main theory held by investigators was that the cocaine was left by a visitor with a tour group, who are asked to leave their phones inside a cubby in the West Wing.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.
Last week, the discovery of the cocaine, which was found in “a work area” of the West Wing attached to the mansion that houses the president and his family, the Oval Office, the cabinet room, the press briefing room and offices for staff, prompted an evacuation of the White House.
“We have a yellow bar saying cocaine hydrochloride,” a radio dispatch from the White House said on Sunday.
In response to the drug being found, speculation ran rampant, with many critics of the administration alleging that the cocaine belonged to President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who has been open about his battle with addiction. President Biden and his son were not present in the White House when the cocaine was found.
Despite the White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, saying the White House had “confidence that they will get to the bottom of this” last week, it is unlikely at this point that a suspect will reveal themselves.
However, this has not appeared to stop Congresswoman Lauren Boebert who tweeted a video of herself on Thursday outside a door labeled “restricted area”.
“Headed to get answers from the Secret Service about the bag of cocaine found at the White House near the Oval Office. It’s outrageous with the surveillance at the White House that this administration still hasn’t disclosed the identity of…
2023-07-13 10:43:38
Original from www.theguardian.com
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