Two packages containing poison have been intercepted at the US Department of Defence headquarters at the Pentagon.
The New York Post reports what was believed to be poison was uncovered at a mail facility in a separate building on the grounds of the Pentagon and later tested positive to be ricin.
"As part of the screening process, (authorities) recognised some suspicious packages," Defense Department spokesman Chris Sherwood said.
Ricin is part of the waste produced when castor oil is made. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it can be lethal under certain circumstances.
The mail never entered the Pentagon itself and has now been taken by the FBI and Pentagon Force Protection agency for additional testing.
Nobody has suffered any ill effects from exposure to the substance, the Washington Examiner reported.
Newshub.
