Two or more packages delivered to the Pentagon this week were suspected to contain the deadly poison ricin, an official said on Tuesday.
Defense Department spokesman Chris Sherwood said at least two suspicious packages, addressed to someone in the Pentagon, were intercepted at a nearby screening center on Monday.
“As part of the screening process, (authorities) recognized some suspicious packages,” Mr. Sherwood said. He added that authorities were still waiting for confirmation that the packages contained ricin.
Pentagon police referred the matter to the FBI, who did not immediately return a request for comment. Produced by processing castor beans, ricin is lethal in minute doses if swallowed, inhaled or injected and 6,000 times more potent than cyanide, with no known antidote.
