(Photos courtesy of Redfin)

Barack Obama’s D.C. home. (Photos courtesy of Redfin)

A series of suspicious packages, several of which have been confirmed to contain explosive devices, have been sent to the homes and offices of prominent media organizations, politicians, and other public figures.

The U.S. Secret Service intercepted two “suspicious packages” on Tuesday and Wednesday addressed to Hillary Clinton in Westchester, New York and Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., the agency announced in a press release Wednesday. CNN reports that another suspicious package addressed to former Attorney General Eric Holder was discovered at the Florida office of U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The address to Holder was incorrect, the outlet reports, and the package was sent to Schultz’s office because it was listed as the return label on the package. Schultz’s office was evacuated as a result—there is no indication currently that the congresswoman’s staff sent the package. CNN reports that a suspicious package addressed to Maxine Waters has also been intercepted at a facility that screens mail going to Congress in Maryland.

CNN’s New York headquarters had to evacuate on Wednesday morning because of a “suspicious device” found on the premises. And the San Diego Union Tribune in California also evacuated due to a suspicious package found outside its building.

Initially there reports about a possible suspicious package addressed to the White House as well, which proved to be incorrect.

The packages to the Clintons and the Obamas were identified as potential explosive devices during “routine mail screening procedures,” according to the Secret Service. Neither Clinton nor Obama received the packages to their homes.

The package addressed to Clinton was identified as potentially dangerous by the agency late on Tuesday night, while the package addressed to Obama was identified on Wednesday morning. The Secret Service has opened a criminal investigation.

Officials have said the devices appear to be similar to a bomb sent earlier this week to the home of billionaire George Soros, who is much maligned by right-wing conspiracy theorists.

And on Wednesday morning, NYPD responded to a call about a suspicious device at CNN’s New York city headquarters. The bureau evacuated the building; CNN anchors cut to the D.C. bureau before picking up coverage from the street. It’s unknown at this time whether the package was related to the other two.

CNN reports that the package sent to its New York building was addressed to former CIA director John Brennan at the CNN offices. Brennan is a contributor to MSNBC and NBC, but not to CNN, according to the outlet.

The outlet shared a photo of the suspicious package on its Twitter account Wednesday. The return label address is to Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s Florida office and there are several American flag stamps affixed to it. The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department also tweeted an image of one of the packages to help the public recognize them.

The San Diego Union Tribune also evacuated its employees after a suspicious package was found outside its building Wednesday morning, according to a tweet from Tribune reporter Kate Morrissey. It’s unclear who the target of that package may have been, Morrissey tweeted, as they share an office building with several organizations, including a branch of California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris’s office.

Other media organizations are also on high alert. A spokesperson for the Washington Post says that the paper is “carefully monitoring today’s events and will take any necessary actions to ensure our staff is safe.”

Mayor Muriel Bowser released a statement on the packages Wednesday afternoon. “The District is maintaining an open communication with our federal partners and we are vigilantly monitoring the situation. There is no additional, credible threat to the District at this time, but we urge all who may see something to say something immediately by calling 911,” the statement reads.

At a news conference Wednesday, Police Chief Peter Newsham said that federal agencies will be releasing images of the packages to assist people in recognizing them. “When you see this type of a mailing you want to be particularly vigilant about the mail that you receive,” Newsham said. “If you see something suspicious or from somebody that you don’t know, be on the side of being extra cautious, give the police a call we’ll come out take a look at the package and determine if it is safe.”

Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said on Wednesday that news of the packages was frightening. “First thing I did, when I saw that the Clintons—my running mate—had a bomb threat, and President Obama, I called my wife and said, ‘do not open any packages.'”

CNN and Reuters had reported Wednesday morning that a suspicious package had been intercepted on its way to the White House, but the Secret Service later clarified on Twitter that the reporting was incorrect.

White House Press Secretary condemned whoever sent the packages in a statement to the press: “These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The United States Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies are investigating and will take all appropriate actions to protect anyone threatened by these cowards.”

This story has been updated to reflect changing information about a package sent to the White House.

Filed Under: barack obama, hillary clinton, secret service,