Election officials in 17 US states received suspicious packages amid growing threats

Suspicious packages containing “unknown substance” that were mailed to election officials in 17 states are being looked into by the FBI and US Postal Department.

Following the receipt of suspicious packages by election authorities in 17 states, the US Postal Department and FBI began looking into the matter.

From New York to Alaska, secretaries of state and election authorities received the packages, some of which included a “unknown substance.” Federal investigators are gathering the parcels and trying to figure out who sent them and why, even though no injuries have been reported.

In a joint statement, the FBI and US Postal Department acknowledged that they were keeping a careful eye on the situation. They stated, “We are closely collaborating with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and safely collect the letters, as some of the letters contained an unknown substance.”

States including Alaska, Georgia, Missouri, Connecticut, and Iowa were among those impacted. Jena Griswold, the secretary of state for Colorado, revealed that the sender claimed to be a member of the “US Traitor Elimination Army.” The chemicals were discovered to be safe in a few instances; for example, Oklahoma officials reported that the package they received included flour.

Amidst growing threats against election officials in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, there has been a surge in the number of mailings. In an interview with CBS, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson disclosed that her office has been getting threats every day, voicing alarm about the rising levels of political violence.

The federal investigators are still working to find out how big the mailing campaign is. These events bring to mind a similar issue that occurred in November of last year, when packages containing fentanyl or other narcotics were received by election officials in Georgia, Nevada, and other states.

As the nation gets ready for the election, there are further security concerns as federal investigators are interviewing a shooter who was discovered close to a Florida golf course where former President Donald Trump was playing.