Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 29 February 2024

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.

White powder letter sent to Trump judge at Manhattan chambers, source says

NBC New York reports that a letter with white powder was sent to the Manhattan chambers of Arthur Engoron, a judge in a Donald Trump trial.

The report states:

“Judge Arthur Engoron’s mail is all pre-screened daily, so he never came into contact with the letter. The source says it was addressed to him at (address omitted) in a standard business-sized envelope.

Two court staffers were exposed to the powder, according to the source, but did not immediately appear to have been harmed by their exposure. There was also a letter to the judge in the envelope, the source said.

The building did not have to be evacuated, and the powder was deemed to be safe.”

Related items:

• Suspicious Powder Sent to Offices of Trump Judge and Attorney General
• Unidentified white powder sent to Florida home of Donald Trump Jr (2-27-24)
• What we know about the suspicious powder sent to WA elections offices (11-9-23)
• About 100 letters containing a white powder were sent to public officials across Kansas, officials say (6-20-23)

Analyst Comments:

As Mr. Trump’s trials and the current election season continue, there may be an increase in white powder incidents.

In the above instance, the white powder envelope did not reach the target because the letter was pre-screened. Faith-Based Organizations (FBO), should consider pre-screening mail, and protecting those that screen suspicious envelopes and packages.

While the above incidents do not involve FBOs, the following incidents have affected houses of worship:

• FBI investigates after letter with white powder sent to House Speaker Johnson’s Louisiana church – ABC News (go.com) (2-19-24)
• Seattle police investigate suspicious packages mailed to synagogues (11-3-23)
• 11 people assisting in police investigations after white substances found at Catholic Centre, Bible House – CNA (Singapore 1-18-23)

FBOs should consider developing a white powder/suspicious package procedure or reviewing their current procedures.

FB-ISAO’s 06 November 2023 Daily Awareness Post details procedures for screening mail, recognizing suspicious packages, and responding to suspicious packages.