SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA. —
The Santa Cruz County government building was closed after a suspicious package containing a white powdery substance was found in Congressman Jimmy Panetta’s office.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said they received a call to 701 Ocean Street after “potentially hazardous materials” were found.
The county said the package contained a “white powdery substance.”
A county spokesperson said it was unclear when the building would reopen. The county told KSBW 8 the substance was deemed harmless.
Earlier this week, U.S. lawmakers and election offices were warned about “suspicious envelopes” sent to officials containing a similar substance.
The warning shared concerns that the substance should be treated as dangerous.
Panetta’s office and the county have not confirmed whether this hazardous materials situation is related to the domestic incidents.
The sheriff’s office said as a precaution the building was evacuated. No injuries were reported.
The courthouse and county building will likely remain closed for the remainder of the day, according to the sheriff’s office. All other departmental facilities remain open.
“We are aware of similar incidents reported elsewhere in the country and are investigating to determine if there may be a connection. No connection has been confirmed at this time,” the sheriff’s office said.
Congressman Panetta released a statement on the incident:
“An envelope containing a suspicious white powder was delivered to my Santa Cruz district office and opened by staff this morning as part of their normal morning routine responding to constituents. When she realized there was powder in the envelope, she immediately put the envelope in the trash, ushered her colleagues out of the office, and called 911.
“My priority is the safety and security of my staff and fortunately she and other staff were initially cleared by medical officials.
“I am grateful to local law enforcement and first responders for their quick response.
“Threats, fear-mongering and violence against public officials have become far too common over the past decade and undermine our democracy.
“But these attempts to intimidate us will not deter us from doing our work. Despite these difficult circumstances, we remain committed to our democracy by continuing our service to the people of California’s 19th Congressional District.”
Other California lawmakers, including Central Coast Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Rep. Kevin Kiley and Sen. Alex Padilla, have also reported receiving suspicious mail. Lofgren said his San Jose office received a suspicious letter.
“My San Jose office received a suspicious letter in the mail today. Law enforcement was immediately called. The investigation is ongoing. All of my employees are safe. I will have more to say once the investigation is complete,” Lofgren wrote on social media.
Other members of Congress who have reported receiving suspicious mail include:
- Representatives: Seth Moulton of Massachusetts; Maxwell Frost and Darren Soto of Florida; Ritchie Torres of New York; and Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey.
- Senators: Mike Rounds of South Dakota; Chris Murphy of Connecticut; Lisa Blunt Rochester and Chris Coons of Delaware; Kirsten Gillibrand of New York; and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
NBC News also reported Friday, citing two sources familiar with the investigation, that federal officials appear to view the mailings as connected.
One of the sources said “dozens and dozens” of similar letters had been sent across the country, but investigators had not traced their origin or identified who sent them.
A source told NBC News that preliminary field tests have found no hazardous materials in the powder tested so far; additional testing is expected at law enforcement laboratories.
The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating, NBC News reported.
The FBI sent KSBW 8 the following statement regarding the ongoing investigation:
“We are unable to confirm any specific incident; however, you may use the following statement from the FBI.
“The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses across the country, including Secretary of State offices and their associated election offices. Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident. We are also working with our partners to identify the person(s) responsible for these letters. This FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service will continue to protect the public and to secure elections for American citizens.”
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