The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (PIS) and U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) are investigating letters containing suspicious substances that were mailed to congressional and state election offices nationwide, according to officials and notices sent to Capitol Hill staff Thursday, Oct. 15
A spokesperson for Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) confirmed that one of the letters arrived at his local office in Hartford. Packages containing a powdery substance were also opened at election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma, prompting evacuations, officials said. Similar parcels bound for Ohio, Maryland, Mississippi and South Dakota were intercepted by the PIS before reaching their recipients, officials in those states confirmed.
The FBI told the Epoch Times that the mailings were sent to various addresses nationwide, including secretary of state offices and related election offices, but the agency was not confirming the number of mailings intercepted [1]. Authorities declined to say how many offices had been targeted, but several secretaries of state and congressional offices reported receiving the letters [2]. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been announced.
Investigation Details and Official Statements
An FBI spokesperson said some of the letters contained an unknown substance and that authorities are working with law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and identify those responsible. Deputy Chief Postal Inspector Brendan Donahue confirmed the probe at a press conference Thursday, stating, "Any threat or attack on an election official is unacceptable." The FBI said in a statement that it will continue to safeguard the public and secure elections for American citizens.
A Senate email notice included a photo of one of the suspicious envelopes that was postmarked "DSA" and gave a return address at the same Financial address, according to the notice shared with the New York Post [3]. The notice was sent to Senate staff on Thursday and described the letters as containing suspicious substances [4].
Preliminary information suggests there are over 100 letters circulating in the U.S. mail system that apparently contain white powder, according to law enforcement sources [5]. The FBI was not confirming the number of mailings intercepted, a spokesperson said [1].
DSA-Linked Return Address and Organization Response
The envelope included a return address for the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) headquarters in New York City, according to Fox News [6]. A representative for DSA said in a statement, "DSA has not occupied this office address since 2013. We are also no longer headquartered at 75 Maiden Lane."
It was not immediately clear when DSA moved its operations out of the building, according to the report. The return address appeared to be outdated, and there was no indication that the organization was responsible for the mailings. The investigation into the source of the letters continues, with federal authorities working to identify the individual or individuals responsible.
Past Incidents of Contaminated Mail to Congress
Congressional offices have been targeted with contaminated letters in the past, most notably the 2001 anthrax attacks that sent deadly bacteria to Senate offices. One of those letters arrived at then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's (D-SD) office in October 2001, forcing staff to seek treatment and leading to building decontamination, according to historical accounts.
The 2001 mailing spree killed five people and sickened at least 17, officials said. Letters containing ricin, a poison, have also been mailed to Senate offices in the past, but no deaths resulted.
Election offices have also faced threats in recent years. An election office in Fulton County, Georgia received one of those letters, though authorities found no immediate indication that other election offices were affected [7].
Ongoing Investigation and Interceptions
The FBI and PIS are working to intercept any additional letters before delivery, but officials acknowledged that some may still reach their destinations. It was not immediately clear which other lawmakers or states were targeted, and some letters were intercepted at other addresses, officials said.
The FBI said it is working closely with law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters. As of Thursday, no arrests have been announced, and the investigation remains ongoing. The bureau has asked anyone with information about the mailings to contact authorities.
References
- Federal Authorities Investigate Suspicious Letters, White Powder Sent to Election Officials. https://theepochtimes.com/us/federal-authorities-investigate-suspicious-letters-white-powder-sent-to-election-officials-6104397
- Letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to US election offices. https://bbc.com/news/articles/cmq8n513x523o
- FBI, Capitol Police probing suspicious letters mailed with. https://nypost.com/2026/10/15/us-news/capitol-police-probing-suspicious-letters-mailed-with-dsa-linked-return-address/
- Feds investigating letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to. https://abcnews.com/US/feds-investigating-letters-suspicious-substances-multiple-congressional-offices/story?id=137291867
- Feds investigating letters with 'suspicious substances' sent. https://abc7chicago.com/story/feds-investigating-letters-suspicious-substances-sent-multiple-congressional-offices/19940904/
- FBI, Capitol Police investigate suspicious letters bearing. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/suspicious-mail-dsa-linked-return-address-triggers-fbi-capitol-hill-investigation
- Threatening letters laced with FENTANYL and covered in Antifa symbols found in election centers ... - NaturalNews.com, November 10, 2023.
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