WASHINGTON — A woman suspected of sending a letter containing the deadly poison ricin to the White House was arrested trying to enter the United States from Canada, two federal law enforcement officials said Sunday.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed the arrest and said the agency is continuing to investigate the suspicious letter.
A federal law enforcement official said the woman was taken into custody while traveling across Peace Bridge, which connects Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York.
Another federal law enforcement official said the suspect was detained by Customs and Border Protection agents. Additional information about the arrest and the suspect was not immediately available.
The FBI said Saturday that it was investigating a suspicious letter addressed to President Donald Trump that had been intercepted.
It wasn’t clear when the letter was sent or where it was intercepted. Law enforcement officials said Saturday that the poison, which is highly toxic and can cause organ failure and death, was detected at an off-site facility that screens mail addressed to the White House.
The ricin was confirmed in field and laboratory tests.
The suspect allegedly sent other letters to federal prisons that were discovered in different facilities, an official told NBC News Saturday. It wasn’t immediately clear which prisons the letters were sent to or who the recipients were.
The official said only one letter appeared to be addressed to a political figure.
Pete Williams and Michael Kosnar reported from Washington and Tim Stelloh from California.
