Woman Suspected of Sending Ricin Letter to Trump Arrested
A Canadian woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the poison ricin to President Trump was arrested over the weekend as she attempted to enter the U.S. at the New York-Canada border.
The woman was in possession of a gun and taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Peace Bridge border crossing near Buffalo. Her name has not been made public.
“An arrest was made of an individual allegedly responsible for sending a suspicious letter,” the FBI said in a statement. “The investigation is ongoing.”
The suspect is expected to face federal charges brought by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington.
Last week, law enforcement intercepted a letter that tested positive for ricin at a government facility that screens mail addressed to the White House. The letter appears to have come from Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
The suspect was arrested in March of last year in Texas for possessing an unlicensed weapon, resisting arrest, and having a fake driver’s license. She was deported back to Canada after authorities discovered she had overstayed her visa and committed a crime in the U.S.
Federal authorities are also investigating envelopes containing ricin that were mailed to a sheriff’s office and a detention facility in Texas.
Ricin, a deadly poison derived from castor beans, has no known antidote and causes abdominal pain, respiratory failure, and often death within two or three days.
