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Suspicious packages sent to offices of 2 Central Florida congressmen
Suspicious packages containing an unknown substance were reported at the Central Florida offices of U.S. Reps. Maxwell Frost and Darren Soto, prompting emergency responses and safety precautions. No injuries were reported.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando office of U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost was evacuated Friday after receiving a suspicious package similar to those reported at other offices across the country.
Meanwhile, the office of fellow Central Florida Democrat U.S. Rep. Darren Soto reported receiving an envelope containing a suspicious substance.
What they're saying:
The Orlando office of U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost was evacuated Friday after receiving a suspicious package similar to those reported at other offices across the country, the congressman said.
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Orlando (left), and U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee
"Today, my office received a suspicious package matching those reported by other offices across the country," Frost said in a statement. "As a precaution, our office has been evacuated. U.S. Capitol Police and the Orlando Police Department have been notified, and the appropriate authorities are responding."
Frost said he and his staff were safe and that his office was cooperating with law enforcement.
"My staff and I are safe. We are taking this situation seriously and cooperating fully with law enforcement as they assess the situation," he said. "I will provide additional updates as more information becomes available."
Soto's office said the envelope was intercepted by local law enforcement after Frost's office alerted staff to monitor incoming mail.
Rep. Soto said no staff members were injured.
"Thankfully, Congressman Frost’s office gave us advance notice to monitor our mail," Soto's office said in a statement.
The office said it was working with federal, state and local law enforcement to support an investigation.
"Political violence has no place in our democracy, and we hope those who perpetrated this crime are brought to justice," the statement said.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not publicly established whether the two incidents are connected to other suspicious mailings reported nationwide. Further details about the substances and the investigations were not immediately available.
Dig deeper:
Frost, a Democrat, represents Florida's 10th Congressional District, which includes Orlando and parts of Central Florida. First elected in November 2022 at the age of 25, he took office in January 2023 and became the first member of Generation Z to serve in Congress.
Before entering politics, he worked as a gun violence prevention activist and served as national organizing director for March for Our Lives, the youth-led movement formed after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Frost has focused on issues including gun violence prevention, housing affordability, voting rights and health care during his time in Congress.
Soto, a Democrat from Kissimmee, has represented Florida's 9th Congressional District since January 2017.
Before his election to Congress, he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2007 to 2012 and the Florida Senate from 2012 to 2016. A lawyer by training, Soto became the first congressman of Puerto Rican descent elected to represent Florida. His congressional work has included technology, health care, environmental protection and infrastructure, with a focus on issues affecting Central Florida.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Office of U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost and the Office of U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, and from reporting by the Associated Press.