An arrest has been made following an attempt to mail poisoned envelopes to a Mississippi senator, a justice official and President Barack Obama earlier this week, according to the FBI.
A suspicious envelope addressed to the president was intercepted by the Secret Service Tuesday after a similar envelope was sent to Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi that contained powdered Ricin, an extremely toxic and life-threatening substance.
Paul Kevin Curtis was arrested in connection to the incident at his home in Corinth, Miss., after an investigation was conducted by the FBI.
The envelope addressed to Obama was acquired by the United States Capitol Police and the USCP Hazmat team before being tested for toxins. Ricin was detected, according to a briefing on the investigation by the USCP through the Center for Disease Control and the FBI.
According to the CDC, Ricin is the substance that remains after castor beans are made into oil. It is extremely toxic and in the instance of inhalation can cause nausea, fever, pulmonary edema and death within three days of exposure. There is no antidote for Ricin poisoning, and the only form of treatment is flushing it out of the body.
The FBI has yet to release a statement in regards to any motive behind the attack.