Elected officials across the country, including four in New Jersey, have reported receiving threatening and suspicious packages just weeks away from the 2026 General Election.
Last week, U.S. Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12), Rob Menendez (D-8), Frank Pallone (D-6), and Analilia Mejia (D-11) all confirmed that their New Jersey offices received mail that was deemed suspicious.
On Friday, Coleman wrote on X that her Ewing Township office had received a suspicious package, which prompted a HAZMAT response and office closure. She confirmed that her office resumed regular operating hours on Monday.
That same day, Menendez's Jersey City office received a package that he said contained a suspicious substance.
After law enforcement determined that the substance was non-harmful, his office resumed regular operations, Menendez said on X.
"I am grateful to the Hudson County Sheriff's Office and other first responders for their prompt response and for keeping our staff, office and community safe," Menendez wrote.
According to News 12 NJ, a similar package was sent to Pallone's office. A spokesperson told the outlet that the substance in the package, which was postmarked from Texas, was "tested and determined not to be hazardous."
Finally, on Friday, Mejia confirmed on X that officials intercepted a letter to her office containing an unidentified substance.
She called the move "a deliberate attempt to cause harm to me and my staff."
Nobody was harmed, the congresswoman added.
"Political violence and intimidation have no place in our democracy," she said. "I won't be silenced by threats, and my staff and I will keep working for the people of New Jersey's 11th District."
Threats Nationwide
The packages sent to New Jersey officials were part of a larger effort to threaten Congress members across the country, according to the US Postal Inspection Service, FBI, and Capitol Police, CNN says.
NBC News says dozens of officials on both sides of the aisle, including Republican Ted Cruz of Texas and Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York, have received the threatening packages.
The report adds that FBI officials say hundreds of letters may still be in circulation.
National investigators are still looking into the threats. Officials have not publicly identified a suspect or motive as of Monday morning.
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