Police Find Suspected Deadly Ricin in Senate
NewsMax Wires
Tuesday, Feb. 03, 2004
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Capitol police were investigating a potentially hazardous white powder reportedly discovered in the office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
A government official said an initial field test indicated it could be the potentially deadly substance ricin, and that further tests were being conducted at Fort Detrick in Maryland, with results expected by Tuesday.
The powder was found in an envelope in Frist's office suite on the fourth floor of the Dirksen building, one of three structures occupied by senators and their staffs, said a congressional source speaking on condition of anonymity.
Sgt. Contricia Ford, spokeswoman for the Capitol Police, said authorities were conducting more extensive tests. The Homeland Security Department is monitoring the situation, spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said.
Ricin, derived from the castor bean plant, can kill within days. Twice as deadly as cobra venom, ricin is relatively easily made. It may be inhaled, ingested or injected.
Police found traces of ricin in a north London apartment last January and arrested seven men of North African origin in connection with the virulent toxin that has been linked to al-Qaida terrorists and Iraq.
A package containing ricin was also found at a post facility serving Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina in October.
© 2003 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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