The Secret Service found a suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing on Sunday evening while President Joe Biden was at Camp David.
A preliminary test revealed the powder to be cocaine, and the White House was briefly evacuated as a result, two law enforcement officials said Tuesday.
Secret Service agents discovered the white substance on Sunday while conducting normal patrols, not in any specific West Wing office, according to the authorities.
The officials talked to The Associated Press under the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak about an ongoing investigation.
Around 8:45 p.m., the facility was cleared to enter.
On Sunday, when emergency and fire services were called in to do a fast test, cocaine was tentatively recognized.
Soon after, the White House was reopened, and the powder was sent for more analysis.
On Friday, Biden and his family departed for Camp David, and on Tuesday, they arrived back at the White House.
The District of Columbia fire department was brought in to analyze and find that the material was not harmful, according to a statement from the Secret Service, which also noted that the White House was closed out of an abundance of caution while emergency workers investigated.
“The item was sent for further evaluation, and an investigation into the cause and manner of how it entered the White House is pending,” the Secret Service said of the incident.
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