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Ricin laden letter addressed to Obama intercepted – Secret Service
The authorities said they have information that a fifth similar letter was sent to a CIA location and it was “detected” May 22 but has not been located.
“Active monitoring of the mail stream continues in an effort to locate this letter and mitigate any risk its contents might pose,” the FBI statement said.
It is unlikely the letter would be encountered by a member of the public, but it should not be opened or handled, and law enforcement authorities should be notified immediately, the statement said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans. Symptoms can include difficulty breathing, vomiting and redness on the skin, depending on how the affected person comes into contact with the poison.
The FBI is not aware of any illness resulting from exposure to the Spokane-postmarked letters, agency spokeswoman Ayn Dietrich said.
The U.S. attorney’s office “has made no comment on whether additional charges may be sought,” Dietrich said. That investigation continues, but Dietrich said in an email that “at this time we don’t expect to present any other subjects” to federal prosecutors.
Authorities were investigating several suspicious letters recently addressed to Obama.
