Federal authorities have intercepted a package addressed to President Trump that tested positive for the poison ricin. The FBI, Secret Service and U.S. Postal Service inspectors are currently investigating where the package came from. An FBI spokesperson described the package as a “suspicious letter received at a U.S. government mail facility.”
In 2018 a similar incident occurred in which a series of letters were sent to President Trump, Defense Secretary James Mattis, FBI Director Christopher Wray, CIA Director Gina Haspel among others. A Utah man was charged and indicted on seven counts for sending the letters, which contained the ingredients typically used to produce ricin.
Ricin is made from castor bean pods. The Centers for Disease Control, classifies ricin as a type 2 ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP), which interferes with the body’s ability to make proteins. Exposure to ricin is typically through inhalation, ingestion or injection and can lead to death with 48-72 hours.
