WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — The U.S. Secret Service is investigating “an unknown item” that was found at the White House on Sunday, officials confirmed to NewsNation.
The White House was briefly evacuated after the item, a white powder, was found “inside a work area,” White House spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed to NewsNation. A preliminary test indicated the powder was cocaine.
Members of the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service discovered the substance during their routine rounds in the building, according to Guglielmi. It was in an area accessible to tour groups, not in any particular West Wing office, officials told The Associated Press.
The discovery led to increased security measures and a temporary evacuation of the executive mansion. President Biden was not present in the White House during that time, The Washington Post reported.
Guglielmi didn’t say where in the White House the substance was found. He said “an investigation into the cause and manner” of how the substance entered the White House is ongoing.
Guglielmi said the D.C. fire department determined the substance did not present a threat.