Woman suspected of mailing ricin letter to White House arrested near New York-Canada border, report

The contaminated letter was addressed to the president and intercepted last week.

Published: September 21, 2020 7:04am

Updated: September 21, 2020 4:09pm

A woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the poison ricin to the White House was reportedly arrested Sunday at the New York-Canada border.

The woman, whose name has not been released, was taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection officers near Buffalo, N.Y. She is expected to face federal charges. 

The arrest was reported by the Associated Press, based on information from law enforcement sources. 

The letter, which was intercepted last week before reaching the White House, appeared to originate in Canada, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was stopped at a government facility that screens mail addressed to the White House. 

In 2018, a Navy veteran was arrested for sending envelopes containing a ricin-related substance to President Trump and members of his administration. In 2014, a man in Mississippi received a 25-year prison sentence for sending ricin-dusted letters to President Obama and members of his administration. In both instances, the letters were intercepted and no one was hurt. 

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