United States: cocaine discovered at the White House

7/5/2023, 7:47:16 PM

Highlights: Cocaine was found in the West Wing of the White House. It was initially thought to be a drug that had gone missing. The White House has not confirmed that it was a drug, but said the investigation is ongoing. The discovery was made while the president was out of the country for the weekend. The drug was found on the ground floor of the west wing, which includes the Oval Office. The president was not at home at the time of the discovery, but has since returned to Washington.

A white powder discovered at the White House turned out to be cocaine, confirmed Wednesday after analysis the Secret Service, responsible for the security of senior figures of the American state.

United States: cocaine discovered at the White House

A white powder discovered at the White House turned out to be cocaine, confirmed Wednesday after analysis the Secret Service, responsible for the security of senior figures of the American state.

Cocaine was found in the West Wing of the White House. AP - Manuel Balce Ceneta

Text by: RFI Follow

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The substance, found Sunday in the famous west wing of the building, was initially considered potentially dangerous, causing a brief evacuation. But according to a preliminary analysis by the Washington Fire Department, this powder appeared to be cocaine.

Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said Wednesday that this was "confirmed." "Our investigation is ongoing," he added. The discovery of this powder had led to speculation within the American media about the person who left this drug in the White House.

President Joe Biden and his family were not present at the White House all weekend.

Found in the West Wing of the White House

According to several US media, the cocaine was found on the ground floor in the west wing of the White House, which includes the Oval Office. It was reportedly found in an area where tourists taking part in a guided tour of the building must leave their phones for security reasons.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton on Wednesday called on the Secret Service to make public the exact location where the powder was found. "The American people deserve to know if illegal drugs have been discovered in an area where confidential information is shared," he wrote in a letter to the director of the Secret Service.