Fort McNair, where one of the suspicious packages was discovered Monday. Screenshot : NBC Washington

The FBI is reportedly investigating a number of suspicious packages that were sent to, or discovered near, military and intelligence facilities in the Washington, D.C. area Monday.




CNN reports that the first parcel was found around 8:30 a.m. at the National Defense University in Fort McNair, prompting an immediate evacuation. Analysis later revealed that the package tested positively for black powder (a common explosive), and contained additional components that authorities said resembled a GPS and fuse.

Other sites reporting suspicious packages Monday included: Fort Belvoir in Virginia, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, Dahlgren Naval Air Station in Virginia, and both the CIA’s and White House’s mail processing center. It’s not yet clear if any of the packages were actually viable explosive devices.




Authorities also reportedly discovered letters with the packages that were described as disturbing, NBC News reported.

“We are tracking the delivery of suspicious packages to multiple military installations in the National Capital Region. This incident is currently under investigation and we refer all queries to the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Defense Department spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza told CNN.

The news comes only a week after serial bombings in Austin, which left two people dead.