Nationwide response
Discovery of suspicious packages has organizations on alert.
Apparent package bombs sent to prominent Democratic politicians and a news organization on Wednesday had mailrooms stepping up their mail screening procedures and law enforcement officials scrambling to increase patrols at other potential targets.
It appeared to be the biggest threat of a mail-based terror plot since the 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people in the weeks after 9/11.
Those attacks led the U.S. Postal Service and other federal agencies to bolster their screening procedures.
Last year, postal inspectors responded to 2,282 suspicious packages in the U.S., the agency said in its annual report. That’s out of 150 billion pieces of mail sent. Only a few – about 20 a year – end up being hazardous enough to warrant criminal investigation.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service declined to comment on how it detects letter-borne bombs, saying it would “compromise the effectiveness of our investigative methods.” But experts say mailrooms should look for telltale signs of a suspicious package: too much postage, a missing or fake return address, or demands that the package be opened only by a specific person.
Several packages Wednesday, for example, had the return address of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former head of the Democratic National Committee. At least one of those packages was rerouted to her office in Sunrise, Fla.
“There is no alternative to having extremely well-trained people,” says Tim Williams, vice chairman of the Pinkerton security and risk management firm. “Particularly with this environment we are in.”
For government agencies, mail is often screened off-site before being delivered. All mail addressed to the ZIP codes 20201 (the Department of Health and Human Services) through 20599 (the Presidential Inaugural Committee) is irradiated to kill off potential biological attacks.
The suspicious packages intercepted Wednesday were addressed to former President Barack Obama in Washington, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in suburban New York and for- mer Attorney General Eric Holder. Packages also were sent Monday night to liberal philanthropist George Soros’ residence in suburban New York and on Wednesday to CNN offices in New York.
Capitol Police said they were investigating a package at a secure mail reception facility in Maryland reportedly addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.
A suspicious device found at the New York City office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday turned out to be a flash drive. Packages addressed to former Presidents Bill Clinton and Obama also were screened at Secret Service facilities, the agency said.
Many national media organizations, including The New York Times and USA TODAY, said they were stepping up security.