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What is the 2023 White House cocaine case that the FBI has reopened?
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What is the 2023 White House cocaine case that the FBI has reopened?

FP Explainers • May 27, 2025, 17:00:07 IST
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On July 2, 2023, Secret Service agents discovered 207.6 milligrammes of cocaine in a plastic bag in a vestibule near the West Wing of the White House. Despite forensic tests, no fingerprints or usable DNA were found. The investigation initially ended in 11 days with no suspect identified. This was when Joe Biden was president. The FBI has now reopened the case

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What is the 2023 White House cocaine case that the FBI has reopened?
A barricade with the word "Stop" stands in front of the White House, in Washington, DC, US, November 6, 2024. File Image/Reuters

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is reopening its investigation into the controversial discovery of a small bag of cocaine inside the White House complex, a case that has fuelled conspiracy since it was first reported in July 2023.

The renewed probe follows a broader initiative by the FBI’s new leadership to revisit high-profile, unresolved cases that have drawn significant public interest.

Deputy Director of the FBI Dan Bongino confirmed the relaunch of the probe, alongside new efforts into two other unresolved matters: the 2022 leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organisation, and the January 6, 2021, pipe bombing incident in Washington, DC Bongino announced the decision on X (formerly Twitter), stating:

“Shortly after swearing in, the Director and I evaluated a number of cases of potential public corruption that, understandably, have garnered public interest. We made the decision to either re-open, or push additional resources and investigative attention, to these cases.”

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Thanks for following this account and allowing us to update you about what we’re doing at your FBI. A few updates:

-The Director and I will have most of our incoming reform teams in place by next week. The hiring process can take a little bit of time, but we are approaching that…

— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) May 26, 2025
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He added that he has requested regular updates: “These cases are the DC pipe bombing investigation, the cocaine discovery at the prior administration’s White House, and the leak of the Supreme Court Dobbs case. I receive requested briefings on these cases weekly and we are making progress. If you have any investigative tips on these matters that may assist us then please contact the FBI.”

In the post, referring to FBI Director Kash Patel, Bongino revealed that “most of our incoming reform teams in place by next week.”

“The hiring process can take a little bit of time, but we are approaching that finish line. This will help us both in doubling down on our reform agenda.”

“The Director and I have done only one media interview together. We decided early on to limit our media footprint overall in order to keep the attention on the work being done. There are both positives and negatives to this approach. We have chosen to communicate, in writing, on this platform to fill some of the inevitable information vacuums. I try to read as much of your feedback as possible but the workday is busy, and my office is a SCIF with limited phone access. In response to feedback, both positive and negative, from our interview last week we will be releasing more information which will further clarify answers to some of the questions asked in the interview,” added Bongino.

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What was the 2023 White House cocaine incident

On the evening of July 2, 2023, the United States Secret Service discovered a small clear plastic bag containing less than a gram of powdered cocaine inside the White House complex.

The discovery was made during routine patrols in a vestibule near the West Executive Avenue entrance to the West Wing. This area is frequently used by staff, military personnel, facility workers and tourists who enter on guided tours.

Visitors to this section of the White House are instructed to leave mobile phones and personal belongings in cubbies located in the vestibule before entering the secure wing.

The vestibule lies between a foyer and a lower-level lobby, an area accessible to a wide range of individuals throughout the day.

Upon identifying the substance, the Secret Service temporarily evacuated parts of the White House complex. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) conducted on-scene tests, which initially confirmed the powder to be cocaine.

The FBI subsequently took custody of the bag for additional forensic and chemical testing at its laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

The investigation included an extensive review of security protocols, camera footage, visitor logs and forensic testing. According to a Secret Service statement issued in July 2023, no fingerprints were recovered from the packaging and the DNA present was insufficient for comparison to potential suspects.

The FBI’s laboratory tests confirmed the contents as 207.6 milligrammes of cocaine.

“There was no surveillance video footage found that provided investigative leads or any other means for investigators to identify who may have deposited the found substance in this area,” the Secret Service said at the time in a statement.

“Without physical evidence, the investigation will not be able to single out a person of interest from the hundreds of individuals who passed through the vestibule where the cocaine was discovered. At this time, the Secret Service’s investigation is closed due to a lack of physical evidence.”

At the time of the discovery, then US President Joe Biden and his family were away at Camp David, a detail the White House cited in dismissing accusations linking them to the drugs. Nonetheless, the incident quickly became a lightning rod for political commentary and innuendo, especially surrounding Hunter Biden.

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With inputs from agencies

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