White powder in envelope at Dallas ICE facility was not dangerous, officials say
Suspicious powder investigated at Dallas ICE facility
Law enforcement officials in Dallas investigated a suspicious substance reported early Friday morning at the Dallas U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.
DALLAS - Law enforcement officials in Dallas investigated a suspicious substance reported early Friday morning at the Dallas U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.
While it turned out to be harmless, it certainly caused consternation.
Suspicious Substance
What we know:
The Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue got calls about a suspicious substance just before 7 a.m. Friday at the ICE facility, located near Interstate 35E and Mockingbird Lane.
DFR confirmed a Hazmat team was sent to the scene to investigate the substance. But according to a FOX 4 News team, they didn't seem to be moving with extreme urgency. The Hazmat crew went into the building and later left with two evidence bags.
Tests confirmed the substance was not harmful and there was no need for evacuations, DFR officials said.
Dig deeper:
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed two envelopes containing a white powdery substance were mailed to ICE facilities in Dallas and Irving.
An ICE officer in Dallas opened one of the envelopes on Friday morning, so the Hazmat crew was called in as a precaution. The envelope in Irving was not opened.
"This incident comes after the deadly terrorist attack in September and a bomb threat in August at the Dallas facility. Our ICE officers are facing a 1000% increase in assaults and an 8000% increase in death threats against them as they remove dangerous criminals from our communities. We call on politicians and activists to tone down their rhetoric before a law enforcement officer is killed," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
DHS officials said there is no ongoing threat to the public and the matter will be investigated by the FBI.
It's a felony to use the mail to deliver anything through the postal system with the intent of creating fear.
North Texas ICE Attacks
The backstory:
Report gives look into Dallas ICE sniper's troubled past
A new AP report gives us new details about the troubled past of a sniper who killed two detainees at a Dallas ICE facility last month.
This is the same facility that received a bomb threat in August. Then on Sept. 24, two ICE detainees were killed in what the FBI called an act of targeted violence.
Officials said a sniper on the roof of a nearby building fired indiscriminately at the detention center, hitting three detainees who were arriving in a transport van. Two of those detainees were killed, and one other was injured. No law enforcement officers were hurt.
Dallas ICE shooter Joshua Jahn wanted to ‘cause terror,’ according to handwritten notes
The 29-year-old man who opened fire on a Dallas ICE facility left behind handwritten notes at his home in Oklahoma that shared a motive for his attack – to terrorize ICE employees.
Sources identified the shooter as Joshua Jahn, 29, who had ties to North Texas and Oklahoma. Investigators said he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound as agents approached him.
Bullets reportedly found at the scene had an anti-ICE message and FBI officials said they found handwritten notes in Jahn's home indicating he wanted to terrorize ICE employees.
There was also at ICE's Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado on July 4. A police officer was shot but survived.
Nine alleged "Antifa cell members" were indicted in connection to what federal authorities called a "planned ambush" attack on ICE officers.
9 'Antifa cell members' indicted in connection with Alvarado ICE shooting
Nine suspects were indicted Thursday in connection with a "planned ambush" attack on officers at an ICE facility in Alvarado on July 4.
Cause for Concern
What they're saying:
Retired FBI counterterrorism operative Eric O'Neil said that while the contents found in the envelope on Friday were not critical, they were certainly a cause for concern.
"You have to be under quite a bit of fear every time you enter that facility and now with a substance threat, that can be very worrisome," he said.
Sources told FOX reporter Brooke Taylor that the white powder ended up being corn starch.
"That's typically what these criminals will do in order to create fear. But you have to worry that it could be some substance that would not only bring harm to you but create a situation where you take that back to your family," O'Neil said. "ICE agents, especially in Dallas and I'm sorry about that, have to be on their toes and worried, watching their sixes and around the corner."
While in other parts of the country, there have been clashes between agents and citizens angry at ICE arresting immigrants, in North Texas, there have been more attacks.
"ICE is under fire from individuals who feel like they're righteous in committing these terrorist acts," O'Neil said.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Dallas Police Department, Dallas Fire-Rescue, statements from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, an interview with retired FBI counterterrorism operative Eric O'Neil, and previous FOX 4 coverage.