Someone Left Cocaine in the White House: Reports

The Secret Service is investigating after cocaine was left in the West Wing of the White House on Sunday night, according to multiple media reports. 

A source told Reuters Washington’s fire department and emergency services, which deployed its hazmat team, determined the white powder found was cocaine. The discovery prompted a temporary evacuation.

President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David at the time. 

"On Sunday evening, the White House complex went into a precautionary closure as officers from the Secret Service uniformed division investigated an unknown item found inside a work area," said Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi in a statement, according to ABC News. 

Guglielmi added that the substance was determined to be “non-hazardous” and that an investigation as to how it ended up in the White House is underway; that investigation will include reviewing entrance logs and camera footage.  

The cocaine was found in the area of the West Wing that’s home to the Oval Office and is accessible to tour groups. A law enforcement source told CBS News it was in a storage cubby used by White House staff and visitors to stash their cell phones.  

Conservatives and right-wing sites have been quick to seize the opportunity to dunk on Hunter Biden, who has struggled with drug addiction. But cocaine is extremely popular in the U.S., with nearly 5 million people reporting using it in 2021, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.