Suspicious Package Sent to Robert De Niro in New York City

Police have removed the package from the area of the Oscar winner's restaurant and office and are in the process of investigating.

Robert De Niro is among the public figures targeted by suspicious packages this week. 

According to NBC News, an official said a building worker notified authorities around 4 a.m. on Thursday about a package addressed to the Oscar winner that arrived to a building where his office is located in downtown Manhattan. The building worker saw news reports about packages sent to other public figures and remembered seeing a similar package arrive a day or so earlier.

"A suspicious package was received. We called the police," Tribeca Enterprises confirmed in a statement released on Thursday. "They took it out and went through all safety procedures. It was addressed to Robert De Niro and is a similar packaging to the others. It is an open investigation. Everyone is safe and the building is open."

 

The packaging featured a manila envelope lined with bubble wrap and affixed with six postage stamps and a computer-printed, misspelled return address label for Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. An X-ray of the package addressed to De Niro showed a device resembling a pipe bomb, a law enforcement official told The New York Times. 

Per NBC News, the package was found at 375 Greenwich Street, where restaurant Tribeca Grill—co-owned by De Niro—and offices for his production company, TriBeCa Productions, are located. 

"We are responding to reports of a suspicious package in the vicinity of Greenwich and Franklin streets in Tribeca, Manhattan," the New York Police Department tweeted early Thursday. "Please avoid the area and expect a police presence and heavy traffic."

By 7:30 a.m., police confirmed the package had been removed and warned of a heavy police presence in the area as the investigation continues. 

It was also newly confirmed that former Vice President Joe Biden was sent a similar package that, officials told NBC News, was discovered at a postal facility in New Castle, Delaware.

Earlier in the week, packages containing pipe bombs were addressed and sent to former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Attorney General Eric Holder and business magnate George Soros. The one addressed to Brennan was sent to CNN at the Time Warner Center, which was evacuated on Wednesday. 

(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)