The bag of cocaine found in the West Wing of the White House on Sunday was discovered in “a much more secure” area than previously disclosed, NBC reported on Thursday.
According to NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, the White House is now claiming the cocaine was found “in a much more secure place, limited access place” than originally reported. “It’s down near the Situation Room” and “average people just can’t get in there,” she noted.
The dime-size drug bag was allegedly found in an entrance area cubby between a foyer and a lower-level lobby area, near where some official vehicles park, including the vice presidential limo.
NEW: The White House is now claiming the cocaine was found “in a much more secure place … near the Situation Room” and next to “where, for example, the vice president's vehicle is parked.” pic.twitter.com/N17r8YJyVV
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 6, 2023
An official close to the matter previously told The New York Post that “the cubby is used by both White House employees and visitors to store phones and personal items that are not taken into other parts of the complex.”
While the location of where the cocaine was found is more secure than previously alleged, officials said that area was also heavily trafficked.
Former Secret Service agent Bobby McDonald disagreed with that assessment, telling Fox News Wednesday night that “I don’ think it’s heavily traversed over a holiday weekend.”
“My guess is the Secret Service has a fairly good idea of who may be involved in this situation. They definitely have an idea of who was on the campus that weekend,” said McDonald, who was the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Vice Presidential Division during Joe Biden’s tenure as Vice President.
“I think the Secret Service is going to be utilizing every asset and capability that it has” to find the culprit and will be “working with other agencies that can assist in this investigation,” McDonald said.