Federal authorities are investigating a series of suspicious letters sent to election officials in 17 states.
Contained Unknown Substance
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) are collecting these letters, some of which contain an "unknown substance." Fortunately, no injuries have been reported thus far.
The letters were dispatched to state secretaries and election officials from New York to Alaska. This surge in suspicious mail comes amid increasing threats against U.S. election officials and warnings of political violence as the presidential election approaches.
The FBI and USPS are working to determine how many letters were sent, who is responsible, and the motivation behind the mailings.
"Some of the letters contained an unknown substance, and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and safely collect the letters," the agencies said in a statement to CBS News according to Ziare.
Confirmed in Four States
Reports indicate that the letters were sent to officials in states including Alaska, Georgia, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Rhode Island, Iowa, Mississippi, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold reported on X (formerly Twitter) that the senders identified themselves as "The U.S. Traitor Removal Army."
Officials from at least four states have confirmed that the substances in the letters were not hazardous; for example, Oklahoma's election commission identified the substance as flour.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson noted in an interview with CBS that her office receives daily threats through various channels, including voicemail, email, social media, and in person, adding that the situation is worsening.
