Mail Threat Alert - April 2022

Overall the events continued on-trend with almost all categories being reported. Of significance was the increase in overall white powder, death and intimidation threat letters sent to political and religious leaders both in the US and internationally. Drug events increased in April significantly both in residences for personal use and caught in transit for trafficking purposes. An estimate from the CDC estimates that overdoses are running about 100k per year and with approximately 60 percent of those deaths occurring from fentanyl-laced illicit drugs. White powder threats in the mail should always be handled as if they were the worst possible chemical such as ricin or fentanyl to protect the screener.