As political violence continues to escalate, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has become the latest target of a potential threat.
The FBI is investigating a series of suspicious mailings containing unknown substances sent to government buildings and election offices nationwide, including Sen. Cruz's Houston office. The office was placed on lockdown last week after an envelope containing a suspicious white powder was received.
“The FBI, Houston Police and Fire Department and U.S. Capitol Police responded swiftly,” Sen. Cruz wrote on X. “I am grateful to law enforcement for their professionalism and to my dedicated team members, who work tirelessly on behalf of Texans.”
This comes after an FBI statement announced that the bureau and the Postal Inspection Service would immediately investigate any letters with “suspicious substances” mailed to congressional and election offices across the country.
"Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident," the statement informed. "We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters."
Capitol Police have since intercepted several letters with unknown substances inside. However, it is unclear whether the incident at Sen. Cruz’s office is connected to others.
According to a study by Princeton University's Bridging Divides Initiative, political violence has increased by more than 30% from 2024 to 2025. After the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, threats and harassment against local officials spiked, with reported incidents increasing by more than 300% from August to September 2025.
Sen. Cruz said this incident is “deeply concerning.”
“Attempts to intimidate your political opponents have no place in our country,” he said.
