On Friday, envelopes containing a “white powder” were sent to the offices of Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Susan Collins, adding to a growing list of lawmakers affected by similar suspicious mailings—over a dozen in total.
The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Capitol Police are all involved in the investigation, with some letters being intercepted before reaching their intended targets.
Cruz took to X to inform that his Houston office had received a suspicious piece of mail, stating, “The FBI, Houston Police and Fire Department, and U.S. Capitol Police responded swiftly.” He expressed that the situation is “deeply concerning” and condemned the intimidation of political opponents as unacceptable.
A comparable letter was sent to Collins’ office in Portland, prompting an evacuation and emergency response. Another letter addressed to her Washington, D.C. office managed to be intercepted by Capitol Police.
Katie Brown, Collins’ chief of staff, thanked the local police and emergency teams for their prompt actions, noting that this incident marks the fourth attack aimed at Collins’ office or home within just two months. Despite the rising political tensions and harassment, she emphasized their commitment to serving the people of Maine.
Both Cruz and Collins are currently in tight races for reelection.
Prior to these incidents, Senate offices were alerted on Thursday by Capitol Police regarding the suspicious letters, complete with an image of what they looked like.
Senator Mike Rounds from South Dakota reported that his team chose not to open a suspicious letter that arrived at their office on Friday, following the law enforcement’s warning. He expressed gratitude toward the U.S. Capitol Police for intercepting other letters and allowing his staff to identify this one without opening it. Rounds mentioned the disturbing trend of intimidation faced by his team and stated that such behavior is simply unacceptable in America.
The warning issued to the Senate included a picture of one of the envelopes, which was postmarked “DSA” and had a return address linked to the Democratic Socialists of America, although the organization confirmed they haven’t used that address since 2013.
Besides the three Republican Senate offices that received letters, around 15 offices of congressional Democrats and approximately 26 state election offices have also been targeted. Notable Democratic recipients include New York Representatives Laura Gillen, Tom Suozzi, and Ritchie Torres, along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The FBI has not disclosed the nature of the white powder found in the envelopes, simply calling it an “unknown substance.” This is not the first time congressional offices have been threatened with deadly letters; the anthrax attacks of 2001 stand out as a tragic example, leading to the hospitalization of staff and widespread decontamination efforts in certain buildings.
One such letter reached then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle’s office, resulting in serious health risks and panic among staff. These attacks resulted in five fatalities and at least 17 illnesses. There have also been previous instances of ricin-laced letters sent to Senate offices, though those did not result in any deaths.
