White House cocaine investigation ends with no leads, Secret Service says

No fingerprints or DNA turned up on the bag of cocaine found in a lobby at the White House last week, despite a sophisticated FBI crime lab analysis, according to a summary of the Secret Service investigation obtained by the Associated Press.

Surveillance footage of the area also did not identify a suspect and there are no leads on who brought the drugs into the building.

US Secret Service agents found the white powder during a routine White House sweep on July 2 in a heavily trafficked West Wing lobby where staff go in and out and tour groups gather to drop their mobile phones and other belongings.

“Without physical evidence, the investigation will not be able to single out a person of interest from the hundreds of individuals who passed through the vestibule where the cocaine was discovered,” Secret Service officials said in the summary.

The presence of cocaine at the White House prompted a flurry of criticism and questions from Republicans, who requested a briefing on Thursday on the investigation.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden believed it was “incredibly important” for the Secret Service to get to the bottom of how the drugs ended up in the White House.

Mr Biden was not there at the time of the discovery. He was at Camp David with members of his family for the holiday weekend.

The complex was briefly evacuated as a precaution when the white powder was found.

The fire department was called in to test the substance on the spot to determine whether it was hazardous and the initial test came back negative for a biohazard but positive for cocaine.

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

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if you go

The flights

Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.

When to visit

March-May and September-November

Visas

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.

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