A suspicious package addressed to an election office in Connecticut was intercepted at a United States Postal Service facility in West Hartford on Monday.
On Monday, the Office of the Secretary of the State was alerted by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency about envelopes containing an “unidentified white powder that were sent to and received by elections offices across the country,” according to a statement from Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas.
In response, the office prepared staff for the possible receipt of one of these envelopes, including protocols on the proper handling of hazardous materials and ensuring that protective gear was in place, Thomas said.
The office also notified the Connecticut Intelligence Center, which is the designated fusion center for Connecticut. “Fusion centers serve as the focal point for the receipt, analysis, and sharing of threat-related information between State, Local, Tribal and Territorial, federal and private sector entities,” according to Thomas.
The office was notified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday that the United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted an envelope at a USPS facility in West Hartford that “matched the description of suspicious envelopes received by other offices,” Thomas said.
According to Thomas, it was sent to the state lab for processing.
“I want to thank USPIS, the FBI, CISA, and CTIC for their quick action and work to protect the people of Connecticut,” said Thomas. “For almost two years, we have been working as a team preparing for events such as this and we are now seeing why that work has been so important.”
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are currently investigating the matter, according to Thomas.
Anyone who observes any suspicious activity is asked to contact 866-457-8477 or send an email to [email protected]. Anyone who observes suspicious activity around the mail should report it to the USPS by contacting 877-876-2455.
