A suspicious package was intercepted at a state mail facility Monday addressed to the Colorado Secretary of State's office. It contained white powder and was shipped with a return address that read "U.S. Traitor Elimination Army."
The incident is being investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Colorado State Patrol. There are no reports of injuries.
“We cannot tolerate threats to election officials and public servants," Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement. "These threatening mailings are unacceptable and we must condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms.”
According to the Associated Press, several similar packages have been sent to other election officials around the country including Alaska, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New York and Rhode Island.
The FBI is collecting the packages, some of which contained “an unknown substance,” agency spokesperson Kristen Setera in Boston said in a statement.
“We are also working with our partners to determine how many letters were sent, the individual or individuals responsible for the letters, and the motive behind the letters,” she said. “As this is an ongoing matter we will not be commenting further on the investigation, but the public can be assured safety is our top priority.”
Letters with fentanyl laced powder were sent to five state elections offices last November, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's office. During the 2022 election, a mail ballot was returned to a state county with white powder.
The AP's Summer Ballentine and Steve LeBlanc contributed to this story.
