Envelope containing ricin addressed to White House may have been sent from Canada: RCMP

The RCMP says an envelope addressed to the White House that tested positive for the toxin ricin may have been sent from Canada.

The national police force confirmed Saturday it has received a request for assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in connection with what it called a “suspicious letter.”

“Initial information from the investigation suggests that the letter originated in Canada,” an RCMP spokesperson said in a statement.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press the letter was intercepted at a government facility that screens mail addressed to the White House and U.S. President Donald Trump.

A preliminary investigation indicated it tested positive for ricin, a poison found naturally in castor beans, the official said.

The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Global News was alerted by a national security source Saturday that early indications suggested the letter may have come from Canada.

A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said they were aware of the “concerning reports of packages containing ricin directed toward U.S. federal government sites.”

“Canadian law enforcement is working closely with their U.S. counterparts. As this is an active investigation we cannot comment further.”

— With Files from the Associated Press and Mercedes Stephenson, Global News