The U.S. Service Secret confirmed that a powdery substance found inside the White House over the weekend is cocaine, according to a spokesperson.
The law enforcement agency, which protects the president and other high-level U.S. officials, conducted its own analysis after an initial field test by the D.C. fire department indicated the substance was cocaine. The Secret Service is conducting an ongoing investigation into how the cocaine entered the complex.
The White House complex was evacuated Sunday after officials found the powder in an area of the West Wing that visitors frequently pass through, according to Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service.
The D.C. fire department’s hazmat team responded and deemed the substance not to pose a threat to the complex.
White House grounds are highly secured by the Secret Service, with assistance from local enforcement. Staff and visitors are regularly screened at a security checkpoint and typically must submit to a background check.
