Suspected Ricin packages sent to Pentagon

At least two packages suspected of containing deadly poison Ricin, were found by the authorities at a Pentagon mail screening facility on Monday.

The packages addressed to U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, and Navy officer Admiral John Richardson, were later sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for further analysis, reported Fox News.

The parcels did not enter Pentagon but were flagged in a mail screening building, which is separate from the Pentagon main building.

Fox News quoted Col. Rob Manning as saying, "On Monday, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency detected a suspicious substance during mail screening at the Pentagon's remote screening facility."

He further said that all U.S. Postal Service mail received at the screening facility on Monday is under quarantine and "poses no threat to Pentagon personnel."

Initial tests were positive for Ricin but the FBI is now analysing it further to make final determinations.

Ricin, a poison made from castor beans, Ricinus communis, is a highly potent toxin. A dose of purified ricin powder can kill a person.