Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images
The FBI is investigating after an envelope containing white powder was sent to the Arizona State Capitol. Adrian Fontes, Arizona's Secretary of State, described the incident as a "targeted threat" and confirmed that the envelope was opened by staff, though no injuries have been reported. The Arizona Executive Tower was briefly evacuated on Thursday (October 15) as a precautionary measure, according to KTAR.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety, its hazardous materials response team, and the FBI are all involved in the investigation. The FBI, along with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, is looking into a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma, which also received similar envelopes earlier this week. In Ohio, a package addressed to the secretary of state was intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service, as reported by The Guardian.
Fontes emphasized that his office remains on high alert as the November 3 election approaches, stating, "We will not be scared out of doing our jobs on behalf of the voters of Arizona." The Arizona Secretary of State's office has taken measures to isolate the material and the individuals exposed to it, and access to the affected floor has been restricted.
The FBI has not yet identified the substance in the letters, but some have contained unknown substances. The agency is working closely with law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and identify those responsible for the mailings. Similar threats have occurred in past election cycles, including in 2023 when letters containing white powder, some with traces of fentanyl, were sent to election offices in six states.
The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors have expressed deep concern over these incidents, stating that threats against election officials and workers have no place in democracy. As the investigation continues, federal authorities have urged recipients to treat suspicious mail as potentially hazardous.