SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. —
The Santa Cruz County government building was closed after a suspicious package containing a white powdery substance was discovered at the office of Congressman Jimmy Panetta.
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 spokesperson for the county said it is unclear when the building will reopen. The county told KSBW 8 that the substance was determined to be harmless.
Earlier this week, lawmakers and election offices across the U.S. were warned about “suspicious envelopes” being sent to officials containing a similar substance.
The warning shared concerns that the substance should be treated as hazardous.
Panetta’s office and the county have not confirmed whether this hazmat situation is connected to the national incidents.
The Sheriff’s Office said that, as a precaution, the building was evacuated. No injuries were reported.
The courthouse and County building will likely remain closed for the rest of the day, per the sheriff’s office. All other county facilities remain open.
“We are aware of similar incidents reported elsewhere in the country and are investigating whether there may be any connection. No connection has been confirmed at this time,” said the sheriff’s office.
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 her normal daily morning routine responding to constituents. Upon realizing that there was powder in the envelope, she immediately put the envelope in the garbage can, cleared fellow staff members out of the office, and called 911.
“My priority is the safety and security of my staff and, thankfully, she and the other staff have been initially cleared by medical officials.
“I’m grateful to local law enforcement and first responders for their swift response.
“Threats, fearmongering, and violence against public servants 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 job. 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, also reported receiving suspicious mail. Lofgren said her San Jose office received a suspicious letter.
“My San Jose office received a suspicious letter through the mail today. Law enforcement was immediately called. The investigation is ongoing. All of my staffers are safe. I will have more to say after the investigation is complete,” wrote Lofgren on social media.
Other members of Congress who 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 be treating the mailings as connected.
One of the sources said “dozens and dozens” of similar letters had been sent nationwide, but investigators had not traced their origins or identified who sent them.
One source told NBC News that preliminary field tests had found no hazardous material in the powder tested so far; further testing is expected at law enforcement laboratories.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are leading the investigation, NBC News reported.
The FBI sent KSBW 8 the following statement about the ongoing investigation:
“We are unable to confirm any specific incident; however, you may use the following statement from the FBI.
“The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related 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 individual or individuals responsible for the letters. This FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to safeguard the public and secure elections for American citizens.”