Feds intercept ‘suspicious’ envelopes mailed to Sacramento and Los Angeles election offices

A “suspicious mailing” sent to the Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections office was intercepted by federal authorities before it arrived, county and state officials said Thursday.

Federal and state agencies told the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters on Wednesday that the concerning mail was heading to the elections office, located in downtown Sacramento, the county said in a Thursday statement.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber confirmed suspicious envelopes were sent to election facilities in Sacramento and Los Angeles. The U.S. Postal Service intercepted the two envelopes, according to Weber.

There’s been no confirmation the envelopes contained toxic substances, Weber said in a statement.

“While investigators are still determining the origin and contents of these envelopes, there are concerns that this is part of a trend of suspicious mail sent to election offices in Georgia, Oregon and Washington containing suspicious substances, including fentanyl,” Weber continued.

Numerous elections were held nationwide Tuesday, including a pair of school board elections in Sacramento County.

The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were investigating the incident, Sacramento County spokesman Ken Casparis said in an email. He directed all inquiries to the FBI.

In a statement, the FBI said it received reports of multiple incidents involving suspicious letters sent to ballot counting centers across America but did not answer further questions.

“As these are ongoing matters, we do not have any further comment, but the public can be assured that law enforcement will continue to keep the public’s safety as its top priority,” the statement read.

Postal Service inspectors said in a statement they cannot comment on any potential ongoing investigations.

Authorities reminded residents to exercise care when handling mail from unknown senders and to call law enforcement if something suspicious is spotted.