Authorities say that two people were taken to the hospital due to tingling and nausea after apparently being exposed to a deadly poison called ricin at Senator Cruz’s office located at the Phoenix Towe. Ricin is a potent toxin that can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. Only a small amount of this poison can be lethal. Exposure arises when it is inhaled, ingested, or injected and then the toxic components induce internal bleeding and respiratory failure.
Terror plots that included Ricin in Europe in the past have happened in a London Underground station in 2003 and a separate attack in Germany in June this year.
The entire 9th floor of the Phoenix Tower has been evacuated at this time. HFD HazMat is responding to the scene working to determine the nature of the substance.
The Pentagon has quarantined the mail room until more information is gathered.
CNN cited two unnamed officials who named Mattis and Richardson as the intended targets.
Who Is Ted Cruz?
An American Attorney serving as the United States Senator of Texas since 2013, he was once a nominee for the Republican nomination for President in 2016 presidential election. Raised in Houston, Texas, he attended and graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. His years in politics has gained him many positions such as; Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Justice Department, and as a Domestic Policy Advisor to George W. Bush.
