The US Secret Service announced on Thursday that it has dropped the investigation into the cocaine found at the White House due to a lack of physical evidence.
“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. At this time, the Secret Service's investigation is closed due to a lack of physical evidence,” the service said in a statement.
While the lab results earlier confirmed that the found substance was cocaine, the Secret Service was not able to compare evidence against the known pool of individuals because the FBI’s laboratory results did not find any latent fingerprints or DNA on the cocaine packaging, the statement explained.
Earlier on Thursday an American media reported citing sources that the USSS concluded its investigation without identifying any suspect, despite looking at surveillance footage and visitor logs. The USSS could not determine when or who left a small bag of cocaine in the West Wing, the report said.
A leading theory held by investigators is that a tourist may have left the cocaine in the cubby area when asked to leave their phone there, the report said.
The USSS is set to brief Congress on its investigation Thursday.
On July 2, a white powdery substance was found in the White House, prompting a brief evacuation. Preliminary testing revealed the substance to be cocaine. Media reported that the substance was found in a highly-trafficked area used by both White House guests and staff, but the exact location and its potential proximity to sensitive information remain unknown at present.
US President Joe Biden's son Hunter, who has been involved in several drugs and corruption scandals, was on the White House grounds not long before the white powdery substance was found in the West Wing, media reported. Former US President Donald Trump said the found cocaine can only be for the use of either the incumbent president or his son.