A man has been arrested in relation to the suspicious packages sent to President Donald Trump and officials at the Pentagon, according to Utah police officials.
At least three suspicious packages were intercepted during a routine check at a remote location, addressed to Trump at the White House in addition to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, at the Pentagon.
It was initially reported that the packages could be laced with ricin but officials said on Oct. 3, that they contained castor beans, the unprocessed form of the poison, which can be deadly if swallowed but aren’t as toxic.
Former Navy Sailor
Officials had said on Wednesday that the suspect is a former Navy sailor. The man was taken into custody at 380 N. 200 West in Logan, reported a local agency, The Herald Journal.FBI Salt Lake City field office spokesman Doug Davis told The Journal that hazardous chemicals could be present at the house and warned members of the public to steer clear of the surrounding area.
“No wider threat to the public safety exists at this time,” Davis said. “As it is a pending matter, that’s all we can say at this time.”
The identity of the suspect has not been released.
Packages Intercepted
Two of the packages containing the suspicious substance were intercepted at a facility outside the Pentagon, and a third package addressed to the White House was later found.The package sent to Cruz made it into his office and two people there were rushed to the hospital over fears of exposure, but the FBI field office in Houston said late Tuesday that lab results indicated the substance on that package was not hazardous.
A Defense Department spokeswoman said on Wednesday that a preliminary analysis indicated the presence of castor beans but not the poison in a finished form.
Swallowing castor seeds can cause injury or worse due to the released ricin, according to the CDC.
