FBI, the United States’
Federal Bureau of Investigation, told a judge that there was “probable cause to
believe” classified national security documents were taken by former President
Donald Trump to “unauthorised locations,” indicating his Palm Beach resort in
Florida, Mar-a-Lago. The federal investigators further said they are likely to
find “evidence of obstruction,” according to the redacted search warrant
affidavit released Friday.

The redacted affidavit was
one of the documents used by the US Department of Justice to explain FBI’s
search of Donald Trump’s residence. The Justice Department is investigating mishandling
of classified material that could put national security at risk and likely
obstruction of justice.

Also Read | Raid just about documents: Former Trump aide on DoJ’s redacted affidavit

According to investigators,
they needed to search the former president’s home after they found classified
material in boxes obtained from Mar-a-Lago in May. The files, which are said to
have been preliminarily looked at by the FBI after they reached the National
Archives Office, included documents that could compromise “clandestine human
sources” or overseas intelligence-gathering tactics if they were disclosed.”

“There is probable cause to
believe that additional documents that contain classified (National Defence
Information) or that are Presidential records subject to retention requirements
currently remain at (Mar-a-Lago),” the affidavit released Friday states.

Also Read | FBI raid at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago: A timeline based on Justice Department affidavit

“There is also probable
cause to believe that evidence of obstruction will be found at (Mar-a-Lago),”
the FBI affidavit states further.

The Department of Justice
sought a search warrant to raid Donald Trump’s residence after the National
Archives engaged in months-long effort to retrieve documents from Trump’s White
House that were being stored at Mar-a-Lago.

Also Read | Justice dept affidavit: Did Trump have ‘absolute authority to declassify documents’?

After the redacted version
of the affidavit was made public, Donald Trump wrote: “Affidavit heavily
redacted!!! Nothing mentioned on ‘Nuclear,’ a total public relations subterfuge
by the FBI & DOJ, or our close working relationship regarding document
turnover,” on TRUTH Social.