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The FBI has launched an investigation after suspicious mail containing unidentified substances was sent to the congressional offices of U.S. Democratic senators.
The Washington Post reported on the 15th (local time) that it has been confirmed that suspicious mail was sent to the offices of Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senators Chris Murphy and Alex Padilla.
The mail sent to Senator Padilla's office was intercepted by U.S. postal authorities along the way, while Senator Murphy's office reportedly received a letter containing a suspicious substance.
Federal law enforcement authorities have notified Congress of the incident, and the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the related mail.
Along with this, efforts are underway to intercept similar types of mail before they reach lawmakers' offices.
In an email sent to staffers, the Senate Sergeant at Arms stated that "some mail may have the potential to be delivered to its destination" and urged vigilance regarding unusual mail.
Mail and packages delivered to the U.S. Congress go through a separate security screening process before being delivered to lawmakers' offices.
According to The Washington Post, similar types of mail are also being sent to election officials in various regions.
An official explained that some letters contained expressions similar to past threats from conspiracy theorists and included white powder, though the substance appears to be non-hazardous so far.
The FBI has classified the substance as unidentified and is investigating the matter.
This week, such mail was sent to the offices of the secretaries of state in Ohio and Louisiana, as well as election officials in Oklahoma, Delaware, and Wisconsin.
No connection has yet been confirmed between the mail sent to congressional offices and the mail sent to state election authorities.
Recently in the United States, security has been heightened amid a series of threats and violence targeting lawmakers and public officials.
According to Capitol Police data, threat cases targeting lawmakers, aides, and their families increased for three consecutive years up to last year.
In a survey conducted this year by Princeton University and the non-profit organization CivicPulse, 17 percent of local elected officials reported receiving threats in the first quarter of this year, and 39 percent stated they had faced harassment.
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