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Law enforcement officials said on Wednesday that lab testing has confirmed that white, powdery substance discovered by the Secret Service at the White House on Sunday was cocaine. Questions remain, however, about how the substance got into the building. The Secret Service is leading an investigation of how the substance got into the West Wing, which will include consulting cameras and entrance logs.
According to a U.S. Secret Service official, the cocaine was found Sunday evening in a small, zippered bag in part of the West Wing (which houses the Oval Office and offices of some of the president’s top aides and support staff). The discovery caused a brief shutdown of the White House after it was found near an entrance where visitors taking tours are directed to leave their phones in small cubbies, officials said. An initial test of the substance conducted by the District of Columbia Fire Department soon after it was found indicated it was cocaine, and the formal lab test confirmed that result on Tuesday night.
Mr. Biden was not at the White House over the weekend. He, first lady Dr. Jill Biden and members of their family departed for Camp David on Friday. They returned to the White House on Tuesday for an event with the National Education Association and Fourth of July festivities. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden has been briefed on the incident and noted the area where the cocaine was discovered is “heavily traveled” by visitors, stating: “when it comes to visitors to the West Wing, they come for many reasons, obviously we do have West Wing tours that occur here on campus,” adding tours took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
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