Woman Accused of Sending Ricin Arrested09/21 06:05

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- A woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the 
poison ricin, which was addressed to White House, has been arrested at the New 
York-Canada border, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

   The letter had been intercepted earlier this week before it reached the 
White House. The woman was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection officers at the Peace Bridge border crossing near Buffalo and is 
expected to face federal charges, the officials said Sunday. Her name was not 
immediately released.

   The letter addressed to the White House appeared to have originated in 
Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have said. It was intercepted at a 
government facility that screens mail addressed to the White House and 
President Donald Trump and a preliminary investigation indicated it tested 
positive for ricin, according to the officials.

   The officials were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation 
publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

   There have been several prior instances in which U.S. officials have been 
targeted with ricin sent through the mail.

   A Navy veteran was arrested in 2018 and confessed to sending envelopes to 
Trump and members of his administration that contained the substance from which 
ricin is derived. The letters were intercepted, and no one was hurt.

   In 2014, a Mississippi man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after sending 
letters dusted with ricin to President Barack Obama and other officials.