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Guests must pass through security before entering the White House complex and then are asked to leave phones in small cubbies. Secret Service representatives briefed members of the House Oversight and Homeland Security committees on Capitol Hill on Thursday after lawmakers requested answers on the probe and security protocols at the White House. The sources maintain that the area is highly trafficked, in keeping with Jean-Pierre's characterization Wednesday. The area is transited by VIPs, visitors, tourists, staff members, military officials and facilities operations employees.
US Secret Service ends White House cocaine probe, no video, fingerprints, DNA available - Reuters
US Secret Service ends White House cocaine probe, no video, fingerprints, DNA available.
Posted: Thu, 13 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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Officers found the cocaine during a routine patrol, a Secret Service official said. The complex was briefly evacuated as a precaution when the white powder was found. The fire department was called in to test the substance on the spot to determine whether it was hazardous, and the initial test came back negative for a biohazard but positive for cocaine. The president was briefed on the incident, and the discovery of the cocaine prompted questions from Republicans in the House. Oversight Committee chairman James Comer said last week his panel will assess the White House's security practices, and the Secret Service on Thursday provided a closed-door briefing for the committee.
Secret Service ends White House cocaine investigation with no leads
Garda Thomas McDaniel told the prosecution that when gardaí arrived at the house with a warrant, they found a large amount of drugs paraphernalia including weighing scales. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement. The White House "is subject to rigorous guidelines that include drug testing, and so we will take any action that is appropriate and warranted, pending the outcome of the Secret Service," Jean-Pierre told reporters, adding that she wouldn't "get into hypotheticals." Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., sent a letter Wednesday asking Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle for more information about the investigation.
Why the Secret Service closed its investigation of cocaine found at the White House without conducting interviews
Tests later showed the powder was cocaine, according to reputable news publications. But the lab results didn’t turn up latent fingerprints or DNA, so agents can’t compare anything to the possible suspect pool. Lawmakers who attended the briefing confirmed that the Secret Service's investigation will conclude with no determination of who the cocaine belonged to, leaving Republicans exasperated and with more questions. The court heard that he told gardaí on arrest that he had accumulated a drug debt of €25,000 and was under duress from others to become involved in the operation. Judge Nolan said the court could not impose a non-custodial sentence because of the seriousness of the crime and the level of Wildman’s involvement. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.
Investigation
Biden and his family left for Camp David on Friday and returned to the White House on Tuesday. The U.S. Secret Service takes its mission to protect U.S. leaders, facilities, and events seriously and we are constantly adapting to meet the needs of the current and future security environment. The substance was located inside a receptacle used to temporarily store electronic and personal devices prior to entering the West Wing.
Secret Service to brief House committee about White House cocaine - NBC News
Secret Service to brief House committee about White House cocaine.
Posted: Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
If an officer encounters a powder or substance on White House grounds or in surrounding areas, they routinely request the assistance of D.C. An initial test of the substance conducted by the District of Columbia Fire Department soon after it was found indicated it was cocaine, and the additional test took place Tuesday night. As the investigation continued, many posts claimed without evidence that the cocaine belonged to Hunter Biden, who previously discussed being addicted to crack cocaine in a 2021 memoir. NBC reported the "blurry timeline" could make it difficult for investigators to identify a source. Additionally, investigators were considering the high volume of people who walk through the area. Julia Ainsley is homeland security correspondent for NBC News and covers the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department for the NBC News Investigative Unit.
The Situation Room itself is being renovated, and has not being used for months. The lobby is also open to staff-led tours of the West Wing, which are scheduled for nonworking hours on the weekends and evenings. Those tours are invitation-only and led by White House staff for friends, family and other guests. Most staffers who work in the complex can request an evening or weekend tour slot, but there is often a long wait list. There were tours on the day, a Sunday, the drugs were found, as well as on the two preceding days. The bag containing the cocaine remains in a federal laboratory, where it will be tested for DNA and fingerprints, the official said.
Mr Bowman said Wildman had a history of work in the construction industry, but developed a significant drug habit, at one stage taking half an ounce of cocaine a week costing €1,100. The judge said that Wildman had been a "vital cog" in the distribution of drugs and had become involved due to his own drug-taking. Defence counsel Michael Bowman explained that Wildman requires regular hospitalisation for chemotherapy to manage the brain swelling and is also on immunosuppressants. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a lesser sentence on Wildman than that handed to Banks, after hearing extensive evidence of Wildman's medical difficulties. Wildman was upstairs trying to put cocaine down the toilet, but he only managed to empty one bag before gardaí arrived.
Politics
As such, the substance was field tested and preliminarily determined to not be a hazardous compound. Secret Service Uniformed Division found an unknown substance inside a vestibule leading to the lobby area of the West Executive Avenue entrance to the White House. ORLANDO, Fla. — A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando investigation led to a guilty plea for possession with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. "The president thinks it's very important to get to the bottom of this," Jean-Pierre said in response to a question about how determined Biden is to uncover who brought drugs into the White House. The substance was found Sunday evening in a small zippered bag in a highly trafficked part of the West Wing and prompted a brief evacuation, a Secret Service official said. No talking head is more cynical than Wocka Flocka Flame, an Atlanta rapper who not only came out for Trump in 2020, but said he was better than Obama.
The Secret Service said in a statement the White House was closed as a precaution as emergency crews investigated, and that the District of Columbia fire department was called in to evaluate and determine that the substance was not hazardous. Following the discovery, safety closures were implemented around the White House. This response was designed to ensure that the found substance was not a chemical or radiological material that threatened the security of the White House.
The cocaine, contained in a small Ziploc bag, was found in a cubby used by visitors to store cellphones and other personal items before entering the West Wing. The Secret Service described the location of the substance as "inside a vestibule leading to the lobby area of the West Executive Avenue entrance to the White House." In a statement describing the events surrounding the cocaine's discovery, which began July 2, the Secret Service said as part of its review, it compiled a list of "several hundred" people who may have accessed the area where the substance was discovered. But no fingerprints could be found on the cocaine's packaging and there was "insufficient DNA" for "investigative comparisons," the Secret Service said. Washington — The U.S. Secret Service has closed its investigation into the bag of cocaine that was discovered at the White House earlier this month, but was unable to identify a suspect "due to a lack of physical evidence," the agency said Thursday. While awaiting the FBl's results, the Secret Service investigation into how this item entered the White House continued.
For years, the network made a great show of keeping politics out of its journalism, cracking down on select personalities who crossed the line off air. But with changing times has come new management that appears to be perfectly fine giving itself over to political fodder, and no view would appear to be too extreme. Alexis Sutton –New Haven, ConnecticutAlexis Sutton is a 33-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense. Since then, she has taken classes in hopes of earning her nursing degree and ultimately becoming a registered nurse. Colleagues, friends, and neighbors describe her as resilient, reliable, caring, hard-working, and a role model, and they note her devotion to her family and her studies.
The substance had tested positive for cocaine on a preliminary field test, the official familiar with the investigation said Tuesday, and the formal lab test confirmed that result. A powdery white substance that tested positive as cocaine in preliminary tests was found in the White House, sparking an investigation from the U.S. Two senior law enforcement officials told CBS News that there was 207.6 milligrams, or .007 ounces, of cocaine discovered, according to an FBI analysis. On July 12, the Secret Service received the FBI’s laboratory results, which did not develop latent fingerprints and insufficient DNA was present for investigative comparisons. Therefore, the Secret Service is not able to compare evidence against the known pool of individuals.
The investigation included a methodical review of security systems and protocols. This review included a backwards examination that spanned several days prior to the discovery of the substance and developed an index of several hundred individuals who may have accessed the area where the substance was found. The focal point of these actions developed a pool of known persons for comparison of forensic evidence gleaned from the FBI’s analysis of the substance's packaging.
The cocaine was found in an entrance area between the foyer and a lower-level lobby, the sources said. The entrance is near where some vehicles, like the vice president’s limo or SUV, park. It is one floor below the main West Wing offices and on the same floor as the Situation Room and a dining area. At the time of publication, there was no credible evidence to link the drug found in the White House to any individual or group, much less the president's son.
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