Secret Service Found Explosive Devices In Mail Sent To Hillary Clinton & Barack Obama

The Secret Service has found explosive devices in both former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former U.S. President Barack Obama's mail, the New York Times reported.

The agency said it "has intercepted two suspicious packages addressed to Secret Service protectees," identified as Clinton and Obama. The device addressed to Clinton was found late Tuesday in Westchester County by an employee who screens the mail for her office, while the one addressed to Obama was found in Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning.

"The packages were immediately identified during routine mail-screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such," the statement said. "The protectees did not receive the packages, nor were they at risk of receiving them."

The Secret Service said it has "initiated a full-scope criminal investigation that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources to determine the source of the packages and identify those responsible."

A similar device was found on Monday at the home of George Soros, the philanthropist billionaire, two law enforcement officials told the New York Times.

In a statement, the White House condemned the attacks. "We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures," said a statement from Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. "These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The United States Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies are investigating and will take all appropriate actions to protect anyone threatened by these cowards."

Earlier this month, U.S. President Trump had tweeted — without evidence — that Soros had paid protestors to fight against the nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

On Wednesday morning, the CNN building in New York City was evacuated as the result of a potential explosive device. According to law enforcement, the package was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan. Brennan is an occasional contributor to CNN who has frequently criticized Trump. The package was removed around noon and sent to a New York Police Department facility. On Wednesday afternoon, New York City police commissioner James O'Neill said it was a "live explosive device" and that there was "a white powder" in the envelope that's being investigated.

After the CNN incident, two additional reports came in, according to CNN: The Florida office of Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was also evacuated due to a suspicious package. In San Diego, the building that houses the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper has been evacuated as well. A branch of Sen. Kamala Harris' office is reportedly also in that building, and it's unclear who was targeted.

The White House addressed the wave of violence in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, which was originally supposed to be solely about the opioid crisis. U.S. First lady Melania Trump spoke first, perhaps as a strategy by the administration to mollify the public. "We cannot tolerate those cowardly attacks, and I strongly condemn those who choose violence," she said, before speaking about her work with opioid addiction.

U.S. President Trump spoke next, making a canned statement that called for unity in these divided times. "The safety of the American people is my highest and absolute priority," he said, adding that "the full weight of our government is being deployed to conduct this investigation and to bring those who are responsible for those despicable acts to justice."