An envelope containing ricin was sent to the Capitol Hill office of Sen. Roger Wicker, lawmakers told Fox News on Tuesday.

Milt Leitenberg, a University of Maryland bioterrorism expert, said ricin is a poison derived from the same bean that makes castor oil. According to a Homeland Security Department handbook, ricin is deadliest when inhaled. It is not contagious, but there is no antidote.

The letter to the Mississippi Republican was intercepted at an off-site mail screening facility and never reached the Hill.

Wicker thanked law enforcement officials in a statement for “their hard work and diligence in keeping” those who work in the Capitol safe, adding that the matter is part of an ongoing investigation by Capitol Police and the FBI. “Gayle and I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers,” he said.

As of Tuesday night, mail delivery had only been stopped to the Senate, not the House.

“It is of concern,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said after learning about the incident in a briefing with other senators late Tuesday.

The envelope had a Tennessee postmark and no return address.

Fox News.

Categories: news