FBI detonates 'potentially volatile substance' at Houston home

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) detonated a "potentially volatile substance" Saturday in the backyard of a home in the U.S. city of Houston where an unannounced search began a day earlier, local media reported. FBI spokeswoman Shauna Dunlap told the Houston Chronicle there was a controlled detonation "for the safety of the public and law enforcement personnel" at a Memorial area home in west Houston. She said agents had come across a "potentially volatile substance" but declined to elaborate. Nearby neighbors were notified before it took place. Some neighbors reported hearing a boom. On Friday, the FBI issued search warrants for three homes in the area. The FBI said the warrants are sealed so they can't release other details. But according to an official who spoke off the record, the search had been prompted by someone's ordering of chemicals that could be used to make gas, such as nerve gas or tear gas. The official said the chemicals weren't the type used in the manufacture of traditional explosives. The three homes are all reportedly owned by a well-known member of the Houston art community whose son was believed to be the intended target of the FBI activity. No arrests had been made by Saturday morning, authorities said.