Secret Service investigates cocaine found in White House
The United States Secret Service is investigating the origin of cocaine found at the White House on Sunday night.
BBC reported that the discovery of the suspicious powder in the West Wing led to a brief evacuation on Sunday night after Secret Service agents found it in an area that was accessible to tour groups while doing a routine inspection. The White House complex was closed as a precaution around 20:45 local time (00:45 GMT) on Sunday after it was discovered.
President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David in Maryland at the time.
A senior law enforcement official revealed to reporters that the substance was discovered in a storage facility routinely used by White House staff and guests to store mobile phones.
A preliminary test, which was first reported by the Washington Post, later confirmed it was cocaine.
BBC reported that the Secret Service will lead a full review of how the substance got into the White House using cameras and entrance logs to determine who had access to the area where it was found.
Cocaine is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it has a high potential for abuse, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
The West Wing, a large, multi-level part of the White House, contains the offices of the president of the United States, including the Oval Office and the Situation Room, the offices of the vice president, the White House chief of staff, the press secretary, and hundreds of other staff who have access.
