Suspicious letters laced with fentanyl sent to election offices in California

The Los Angeles County Registrar said it was targeted by a national fentanyl mail threat where trace amounts of the drug were sent to election offices in five different states.

Federal authorities are now searching for the person responsible.  

FBI and post office officials said some of those letters were intercepted before they could get to election facilities in Los Angeles and and Sacramento.

In a statement the the LA County Registrar said, "while this incident is concerning and such activity is a threat to a free and fair elections process, our established protocols facilitated a quick and effective response."

Officials continued to say this incident should not discourage anyone from participating in the democratic process and they are committed to ensuring the safety and integrity of the elections.

A source close to the investigation tells CBS news more than a dozen letters were sent from the pacific northwest to offices in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Georgia. One letter that was postmarked from Portland said, "end elections now."

Offices in Fulton County, Georgia, which is the largest voting jurisdiction in the country's most important swing state, were also targeted. It's also the same county where former president trump and 18 others were indicted, in connection with alleged election interference.