Oklahoma man charged with mailing 700 letters of yeast and flour to officials

Federal authorities arrested Robin Martin on Monday in Oklahoma City. He now faces charges for conveying a hoax and mailing threatening communications. Martin is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.

The investigation covers more than 700 mailings sent to officials across the country. FBI agent David Cole stated in an affidavit that the packages were addressed to election officials, members of Congress, pollsters, news media, and federal law enforcement. The return address on the envelopes read U.S.T.E.A., United States Traitor Elimination Army, Takoma Park, MD.

The letters contained a nonhazardous white powder. The FBI identified the substance as yeast or flour in most tested samples. Not all letters have been fully analyzed, according to a court filing made public Tuesday. Recipients received a three-page letter declaring war on the government.

The mailings included warnings about upcoming arrests for treason or worse. Officials first reported the suspicious substances in 2024. The pattern continued into 2026. States from Idaho to Florida reported receiving or intercepting the mailings.

The packages forced the evacuation of election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma in October. Federal investigators urged recipients to treat the mail as potentially hazardous while testing was underway. The investigation spans both the 2024 and 2026 election cycles.