EL PASO, Texas – The FBI headquarters in El Paso was evacuated Wednesday after two people in the mail room were exposed to a white powdery substance in a letter that was addressed to Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate.
Andrea Simmons, an FBI spokeswoman, said a field test showed the material found Wednesday wasn't hazardous but more extensive tests are pending.
The employees who came in contact with the powder were treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel. Everyone else in the federal law enforcement building, which houses about 200 FBI employees and nearly 100 U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency personnel, was sent home while hazardous materials crews worked to identify the substance.
Simmons said the powder was in a piece of mail addressed to Romney with a return address of the FBI office in El Paso. She said that it appeared that the letter was sent to the FBI address after being returned as undeliverable.
Simmons said the letter may be connected to other cases involving white powder substances.
In December, governor's offices in more than 40 states, including Texas, received mailings with a suspicious white powder that authorities said was deemed harmless.
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