Multiple reports are claiming that “explosive devices” have been sent to the residences of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama Wednesday morning. While the packages were addressed to both former government officials, they were intercepted by the Secret Service early this morning.
Reports of an additional suspicious package sent to the White House have been unconfirmed.
In a statement released by the Secret Service, “The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such. Both packages were intercepted prior to being delivered to their intended location. The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them.”
“The Secret Service has initiated a full scope criminal investigation that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources to determine the source of the packages and identify those responsible,” the statement added.
Furthermore, CNN’s New York City headquarters has also been evacuated after a similar situation involving a potential explosive device. Reportedly, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has been called to the Time Warner Center in midtown Manhattan to investigate the situation as alarms were going off in the building. It is not immediately clear if the package was an explosive, or whether it was connected to the packages addressed to the Clintons, Obama, and potentially the White House.
In a report from CNBC, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the Trump Administration condemns the “terrorizing acts” against Obama, the Clintons, and “other public figures.”
“We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures. These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The United States Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies are investigating and will take all appropriate actions to protect anyone threatened by these cowards,” a statement read.
The incidents Wednesday morning follow an explosive device sent to the home of billionaire Democratic mega-donor George Soros earlier this week.