The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday evening while President Joe Biden was at Camp David after the Secret Service detected suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing, and a preliminary test revealed that the substance was cocaine, according to two law enforcement sources.
Secret Service agents were on routine rounds on Sunday when they discovered the white powder in an area accessible to tour groups, rather than in any specific West Wing office, according to officials. The officials talked to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.
The complex was evacuated around 8:45 p.m. Sunday after fire and rescue crews were called in to do a quick test, which revealed the presence of cocaine. The White House was quickly reopened, and the powder was sent to be tested further.
Biden and his family left on Friday for Camp David and returned to the White House on Tuesday.
According to the Secret Service, the White House was shuttered as a precaution while emergency crews investigated, and the District of Columbia fire department was sent in to analyze and find that the substance was not harmful.
“The item has been sent for further evaluation, and an investigation into the cause and manner in which it entered the White House is currently underway,” the Secret Service said.
