Published: Jul 04, 2023, 20:05 IST | Updated: Jul 04, 2023, 20:05 IST
The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday evening while President Joe Biden was at Camp David. The secret service discovered the suspicious powder in a common area of the west wing, and law enforcement officials say that the initial test showed the substance was cocaine. Secret Service Agents were doing routine rounds when they found the white powder in an area accessible to tour groups, not in any particular west wing office. The complex was reportedly evacuated at about 8:45 pm Sunday as fire and emergency crews were brought in to do a rapid test, which preliminarily identified cocaine. The White House was soon reopened and the powder was sent for further testing. In a statement, the secret service said the white house was closed as a precaution as emergency crews investigated. The District of Columbia fire department was called in to evaluate and determine that the substance was not hazardous.