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Secret Service: Powdery substance found at White House was cocaine

The discovery was made on Sunday and prompted an evacuation of the premises as officials sought to determine whether the substance was hazardous.
Secret Service: Powdery substance found at White House was cocaine
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The Secret Service confirmed to Scripps News on Wednesday that a white powdery substance found at the White House was cocaine. 

The discovery was made on Sunday and prompted an evacuation of the premises as officials sought to determine whether the substance was hazardous.

The Bidens were at Camp David during the discovery.

A senior law enforcement official told Scripps News that the cocaine was found in a resealable plastic bag in an area that is accessible to anybody in the West Wing for business or on tours. 

The source noted that the area is highly trafficked, which could make it difficult to determine who the cocaine belonged to. 

"This is a heavily, heavily traveled, to be more accurate, area of the campus of the White House," said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. "It is where visitors to the West Wing come through."

Investigators will reportedly be going through visitor logs, as well as trying to determine who was working in the area ahead of the discovery.

The Secret Service is handling the investigation. Jean-Pierre would not speculate about whether security upgrades would be made at the White House in light of the discovery. 


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