Rickin: Toxic letter addressed to Trump at the White House

A package containing ricin poison addressed to US President Donald Trump was intercepted before reaching the White House, officials told US media.

The letter was found earlier this week at the White House’s mail screening facility, officials said.

They said one of the substances found in the envelope, known as ricin, was a toxin found naturally in castor lentils.

The Trump administration has not yet commented on the reports.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Secret Service are investigating where the package came from and whether others were sent through the US Postal System.

“At this time, there is no known threat to public safety,” the FBI told CNN in a statement Saturday.

An official told the New York Times that investigators believe the package was sent from Canada. Reports say Rickin’s presence was confirmed after tests by the FBI.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said Saturday it was working with the FBI to investigate a “suspicious letter sent to the White House.”

Ricin is produced by processing castor beans. It is a lethal substance that, if swallowed, inhaled or injected, can cause nausea, vomiting, internal bleeding and eventually organ failure.

No known antidote for resin exists. If a person is exposed to resin, the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), depending on the dose received, death can occur within 36 to 72 hours.

The CDC said the poison – which is used in terrorist plots – could be made into a weapon in the form of powder, mist or bullets.

The White House and other federal buildings have been the target of the Rixin package in the past.

In 2014, a Mississippi man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sending resin-filled letters to former President Barack Obama and other officials.

Four years later, in 2018, a former Navy P.O. The man was accused of sending toxic letters to the Pentagon and the White House.