The United States Secret Service has ended its investigation into who brought cocaine into the White House. After days of scouring for forensic or video evidence, no suspects or leads were identified, according to what Secret Service officials familiar with the matter told reporters.
What Happened?
In a statement Thursday (July 13) after briefing members of Congress on the matter, the Secret Service said the cocaine found on July 2 "inside a receptacle used to temporarily store electronic and personal devices prior to entering the West Wing."
The agency added it has been investigating "how this item entered the White House," including 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," they added.
The Secret Service also explained how investigators developed "a pool of known persons for comparison of forensic evidence gleaned from the FBI's analysis of the substance's packaging."
Previously, there were speculations the cocaine belonged to US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, as the small bag was discovered two days after his visit when the Biden family left for Camp David for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. However, White House officials refused to say if the cocaine bag belonged to the First Son.
Who Brought the Cocaine?
Prior to the Secret Service's confirmation, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News officials said they planned to end the investigation on Friday (July 14) without determining who the cocaine belonged to. The source added they still do not know who brought the cocaine bag into the White House.
Meanwhile, the bag containing the powdered substance was subjected to advanced testing and examined at two federal laboratories, but no usable fingerprints or DNA were detected, sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
While Secret Service officials conceded they could not trace who brought the cocaine into the White House, one of NBC's sources said the leading theory was that the substance "belonged to one of hundreds of visitors who traveled through the building over the weekend."
Case Closed with No Suspects
In a press briefing about the incident, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the location involved as "highly traveled," saying that "West Wing visitors come through this particular area." She added that staff-led tours were held three days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 30 to July 2) before the suspected drug was found.
However, Republican politicians question the purported reluctance of the Biden administration in dealing with the case.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) said she inquired about specific security measures in place for the lockers where the cocaine was found, citing that one of the lockers in the specified foyer has a missing key for the locker and there were over 500 people who went through the West Wing during that weekend. "Instead, they are quickly wanting to close this investigation and move on to the next Biden crime crisis," she added.
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