A woman suspect has been arrested for allegedly sending an envelope dusted with deadly poison to U.S. President Donald Trump, a law enforcement official said.
The unidentified woman was in possession of a gun when apprehended by Customs and Border Protection agents. She had tried to enter the U.S. from Canada at the Peace Bridge border area near Buffalo, New York, and was set to face charges, law enforcement officials said.
Authorities intercepted the envelope at a federal center that screens mail addressed to the White House and an initial investigation suggested the letter tested positive for ricin.
CNN previously said authorities had intercepted a package laced with the poison and sent to Trump last week, law enforcement officials said, and that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement teams were evaluating the likelihood the mail was sent from Canada.
On Saturday, law enforcement sources said they believed the mail had originated from Canada and that a woman suspect was behind it. Other poison-laced mail had also been allegedly sent by the Canadian suspect to a jail facility including a sheriff's office in Texas, authorities said.
A statement released by the FBI said the bureau, U.S. Secret Service and the U.S, Postal Inspection Service were looking into a suspicious mail received at a U.S. government mail center. "At the moment, there is no known threat to public safety," the Independent quoted the statement as saying.
A spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told CNN on Sunday that it was still "not in a position to issue a statement or able to confirm or deny any reports regarding arrests."
Ricin is a potent toxin obtained from castor beans and is dangerous if ingested or inhaled. It can be used in acid, pellet, mist or powder form. The poison has been used in the past to target U.S. politicians through the mail. It is not yet clear if the poison mail is tied to any terrorist groups.
