On Sunday night, a white substance that prompted an emergency evacuation at the White House tested positive for cocaine.
The drug was discovered during a regular search at the guarded building, according to the US Secret Service.
The Washington Post originally reported the preliminary positive test, citing fire and law enforcement officials.
President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David when the drug was discovered.
The White House complex was shuttered as a precaution at about 20:45 local time (01:45 BST) on Sunday when Secret Service personnel discovered the white powder “inside a work area” of the West Wing, according to a statement from Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi.
Mr Guglielmi stated that the fire brigade was soon contacted and that the chemical was determined to be “non-hazardous.”
He would not confirm the preliminary test findings but did say the item had been submitted for additional testing and that an inquiry was underway, including how the drug got into the White House.
According to CBS News, the material was discovered in a storage facility in a cabinet commonly used by White House personnel and guests to keep mobile phones, according to a senior law enforcement source.
Two law enforcement officials and a recording of a radio transmission from Sunday verified the drug tested positive for cocaine shortly after it was discovered, according to CBS.
According to the US Narcotic Enforcement Administration, cocaine is a Schedule II narcotic under the Controlled Substances Act, which means it has a high potential for abuse.
The West Wing is a huge, multi-level section of the White House that houses the president’s offices, including the Oval Office and the Situation Room.
It also contains the vice president’s office, the White House chief of staff, the press secretary, and hundreds of other staff members who have access.
SOURCE: BBC
