Published By
U.S. Secret Service Media Relations
Published Date
2023-07-16
WASHINGTON — On the afternoon of July 12, officers from the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division found an unknown, crumbly, brownish-green substance on the top of a dresser in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House.
Following the discovery, safety closures were implemented around the White House, which were minimally disruptive since the discovery was made at 4:25 p.m., by which time POTUS was already safely resting in the White House residence.
This response was designed to ensure that the found substance was not a chemical or radiological material that threatened the security of the White House, especially given the pungent smell that agents reported detecting when they first entered the room.
As such, a sample of the found substance tightly rolled into a light tissuey paper was field-tested and preliminarily determined to be “a real gasper.” Testing then conducted by the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department indicated that the substance tested positive for the presence of THC.
“It was ganja,” said the top lab technician at D.C. FEMS.
The substance and the blanks found near it were treated as evidence and sent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, which analyzed the item for any biothreats.
Tests conducted at this facility came back negative and gave formal confirmation that the substance was not biological in nature.
“It sure looked like herb to me,” said the assistant undersecretary for bioanalysis and countermeasures at DHS.
The substance and associated materials, including a plastic bag containing most of the found substance, underwent further forensic testing. This analysis was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s crime laboratory given its expertise in this area and independence from the investigation.
The FBI special agent in charge described the rolled-up substance as “no ordinary blunt,” and surmised that the person(s) responsible “knows what he’s doing.”
A half-empty, twelve-ounce bag containing a round-shaped foodstuff found at the scene was additionally forwarded to D.C. FEMS for testing and determined to be Tostitos Original Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips.
“All indications are that someone or a group of people were cheeching in the White House,” said the chief of the Secret Service Uniformed Division. “The investigation is continuing.”
The FBI review included a backwards examination that spanned several days prior to the discovery of the substance.
Analysis of drone footage found that a van pulled up the White House at 1:32 p.m. the afternoon of the discovery, and briefly stopped before a Caucasian male in his 50s exited, along with a young Caucasian female wearing a tight dress and platform heels. Infrared analysis found a heat imprint in the vehicle consistent with the periodic flaring-up of a small lighted material.
Footage from every federal and district security camera in the vicinity, as well as the cameras of private businesses, was analyzed, and it was determined that the vehicle in question left for the White House from the Cosmopolitan Gentleman’s Club on M Street in Northwest D.C. shortly beforehand.
The investigation into the identities of the persons is ongoing. “It could have been anyone,” said the chief.
Agents on site in the Lincoln Bedroom also reported that they found in the top drawer of the dresser one condom (Trojan Ultra Ribbed Ecstasy/Medium), hair gel, a half-empty pack of Marlboro Reds, and a laptop whose authenticity could not be confirmed but has been sent to “The Mac Shop” in Wilmington, Del., for further analysis.
The U.S. Secret Service takes its mission to protect U.S. leaders, facilities, and events seriously, and we are constantly adapting to meet the needs of the current and future security environment.