White Powder Letters


June 22, 2012

The FBI is taking proactive measures to prevent, identify, and solve white powder letter crimes.


Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: The FBI is taking proactive measures to prevent, identify, and solve white powder letter crimes.

Robert Miranda: We in the FBI are looking to leverage technology to do a better job for us in identifying the perpetrators of these crimes.

Halpern: I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau, and this is FBI, This Week. Since 2006, the FBI has responded to more than 1,600 white powder letter incidents and opened 500 cases as a result. This comes more than a decade after the anthrax attacks which left five people dead. Assistant Section Chief in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate Robert Miranda…

Miranda: It’s a very widespread problem, and the response costs a ton of money. And people don’t realize that there is an effect on local communities.

Halpern: Although the majority of white powder letters are determined to be hoaxes, they are still serious federal crimes.

Miranda: They are felonies, and in many instances there’s also state and local crimes that have occurred as well.

Halpern: For more information visit www.fbi.gov.

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