White Powder Letters Reach GOP Sens. Cruz, Collins and Rounds as Federal Probe of Mailings to Congress and Election Offices Widens
Envelopes containing a white powder reached the offices of Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Susan Collins of Maine on Friday, and a suspicious letter arrived at Sen. Mike Rounds’ office in South Dakota, widening a federal investigation into mailings sent to members of Congress and state election offices weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms.
The FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating, and some letters have been intercepted before reaching their targets, the New York Post reported. The FBI has described the powder only as “an unknown substance,” according to the Post. No injuries have been reported.
“This afternoon, my Houston office received a suspicious piece of mail containing a white powder substance,” Cruz wrote on X. “The FBI, Houston Police and Fire Department, and U.S. Capitol Police responded swiftly.” He called the incident “deeply concerning” and said “attempts to intimidate your political opponents have no place in our country.”
WHO THE WHITE POWDER LETTERS HAVE TARGETED
A letter addressed to Collins arrived at her Portland, Maine, office, prompting an evacuation and emergency response, and a separate letter mailed to her Washington office was intercepted by Capitol Police, the Post reported. Collins’ chief of staff, Katie Brown, said in a statement that it “was the fourth attack targeting Sen Collins’ office or home in the past two months.”
Rounds said his staff in Sioux Falls did not open a “suspicious piece of mail” because Capitol Police had warned Senate offices. “I am grateful for the U.S. Capitol Police, who intercepted other letters and sent out a warning allowing my team to recognize this letter before opening it,” Rounds wrote on X.
Democrats have been targeted too. Fox News Digital reported Thursday that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office was an intended recipient, and that Sens. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Alex Padilla of California were told by the FBI that their offices were sent suspicious letters. A Padilla spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the letter sent to his office was intercepted by the Postal Service.
New York Reps. Laura Gillen, Tom Suozzi and Ritchie Torres have also confirmed receiving letters, the Post reported. Citing NBC News, the Post said at least 15 offices of congressional Democrats and about 26 state election offices have been targeted, in addition to the three Republican senators’ offices.
A RETURN ADDRESS TIED TO DSA, AND A DENIAL
A Capitol Police warning to Senate offices included a photo of one of the envelopes, which was postmarked “DSA” and carried a return address at 75 Maiden Lane in Manhattan’s Financial District, a building the Democratic Socialists of America formerly listed on membership forms, according to the Post.
“DSA has not occupied this office address since 2013,” a spokesperson for the organization said. “We are also no longer headquartered at 75 Maiden Lane.” Investigators have not said who sent the letters, and a return address on an envelope does not establish who mailed it.
WHAT IS STILL UNKNOWN
Federal authorities have not announced an arrest, a suspect or a motive, and have not publicly identified the substance. The mailings recall the 2001 anthrax letters sent to Senate offices, which killed five people, though nothing so far suggests the current letters contain a dangerous agent.
The Digital Free Press first reported on the mailings on Oct. 15, when letters were found at congressional offices and at election offices in several states.
Sources: New York Post (Oct. 16, 2026, including Sen. Ted Cruz’s and Sen. Mike Rounds’ posts on X and statements from Sen. Collins’ office and the Democratic Socialists of America); Fox News Digital (Oct. 15, 2026); NBC News figures as cited by the New York Post. Cover photo: U.S. Capitol, Architect of the Capitol, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. In-post background: Hart Senate Office Building, Kurt Kaiser, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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