Federal authorities are investigating suspicious mail containing a white powder that was received by a north Louisiana church attended by House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Cypress Baptist Church in Benton received a package in the mail Monday, according to Johnson’s Washington office.
“Earlier today, Speaker Johnson was made aware of a suspicious package sent to his home church in Louisiana. Speaker Johnson and the Johnson family thank U.S. Capitol Police, the FBI, the Louisiana State Police, and the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office for taking swift action and handling the situation professionally,” Johnson spokesman Griffin Neal said in a statement.
“As the investigation is ongoing, we will refer all further questions to law enforcement handling this matter,” it continued.
The FBI issued a statement saying it was investigating a letter containing white power sent to an address on Benton’s Palmetto Road, the road on which the church is located.
The agency added that a field test on the substance was negative, but more testing was planned, adding that “even sending a hoax letter is a serious crime.”
The state police HazMat unit was sent to investigate the suspicious piece of mail and additional testing will be completed at a local laboratory, KTBS-TV reports.
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