TOLEDO | DEVELOPING: Package With Suspicious Substance Meant for Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s Toledo Office Intercepted; FBI, Postal Inspectors Investigating

Author: FFP Ai Bot

TOLEDO — A package containing a suspicious substance that was meant for U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s office in Toledo was intercepted before it could be delivered, her office said Friday, Oct. 23.

Kaptur, a Democrat who represents Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, was told this week that her northwest Ohio office was the intended recipient, according to a statement from her office. The office said the package was similar to others reported at congressional offices in Ohio and across the country.

Because earlier packages had made national news, mail for the office was already being held at a local postal facility as a precaution, and that is where the package was stopped, said Ben Kamens, Kaptur’s communications director.

“We take this matter extremely seriously, and will continue to work with the Postal Inspector and both local and Federal authorities as the investigation into this package and others across the country continue,” Kamens said. “Acts of terror, harm, and intimidation have no place in our democracy and cannot be lightly dismissed.”

The office thanked the Postal Service’s inspectors for their quick response and for protecting the letter carrier, staff and constituents. Kaptur’s Washington and northwest Ohio offices remain open and fully operating, the statement said.

Kaptur’s office has not said what the substance was, and no one has been publicly identified or charged.

Part of a national investigation

The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating “a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices, and congressional offices,” the FBI’s Cleveland office said in a statement to 13 Action News. “Some of the letters contained an unknown substance,” the FBI said, adding that it is working to identify whoever sent them.

In a public service announcement issued Friday, the FBI and Postal Inspection Service said letters with suspicious substances have been mailed to elected officials, secretaries of state and election offices, and other election-related groups. “To date, no hazardous material has been identified; however, laboratory testing remains ongoing,” the alert says. The agencies said they are working to intercept more letters before they are delivered.

WTOL 11 reported that the packages appear to have targeted both Democrats and Republicans, and that the U.S. Capitol Police are also investigating.

If you get suspicious mail

The FBI advises anyone who finds mail with an unknown substance to:

• Call 911.
• Leave the item where it is. Do not shake it, open it further or blow on it.
• Leave the room, close the door and keep others out.
• Wash your hands and any exposed skin with soap and cool water. Do not use hand sanitizer or bleach.
• Report it to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.

Constituents can still reach Kaptur’s office through kaptur.house.gov or by calling the local office at 419-259-7500.

This is a developing story. FFP will update it as investigators release more information.

Sources

Office of U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur: Statement on suspicious package intended for local NW Ohio congressional office (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kaptur-office-statement-suspicious-package-intended-local-nw-ohio
FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (IC3) public service announcement I-102326-2-PSA (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA261023-2
13 Action News (WTVG): Package with suspicious substance intended for Kaptur’s office intercepted by USPS (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/23/suspicious-package-intercepted-before-being-delivered-rep-kaptur-office/
WTOL 11: Marcy Kaptur’s office among congressional offices targeted by suspicious packages (Oct. 23, 2026) – https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/marcy-kapturs-office-among-congressional-offices-targeted-by-suspicious-packages/512-dcb24a37-cee2-4467-88f4-653cc646a119
U.S. Postal Inspection Service – https://www.uspis.gov/