President Donald Trump at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Saturday.
A suspect in the potential ricin assassination attempt on President Donald Trump was arrested at the U.S. border with Canada, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in an Axios report. She had been trying to enter New York, authorities said.
The woman was apprehended while crossing the Peace Bridge border crossing near Buffalo, New York, say three law enforcement officials cited by The Associated Press. Sources said they were not authorized to discuss this publicly, and spoke on condition of anonymity.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the poison ricin, which was addressed to White House, has been arrested at the New York-Canada border, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on Sunday.
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) September 20, 2020
Law enforcement officials told The New York Times in a Saturday report that a letter containing the poison ricin was intercepted while on the way to the White House. It was addressed to Trump, one person said. Other letters were sent to local law enforcement agencies in Texas, the source said. The suspect was identified as a woman at the time, and investigators said they thought the letters were from Canada.
#FBIStatement: “The FBI and our U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service partners are investigating a suspicious letter received at a U.S. government mail facility. At this time, there is no known threat to public safety.” pic.twitter.com/jsBMIsDHbt
— FBI Washington Field (@FBIWFO) September 19, 2020
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there is no antidote for ricin, which stops cells from making the proteins they need to live. Symptoms of exposure depend on the manner of exposure. For example, people who inhale it may suffer difficulty breathing, have a fever, sweat a lot, and experience fluid building in the lungs. Those who swallow it may vomit, or have bloody diarrhea. Exposure to the skin and eyes may cause redness and pain.
[Image via BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images]
