A man has been arrested near the White House after US Secret Service officers found three firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition in his vehicle. The suspect allegedly told officials that he had heard voices in his head instructing him to travel to Washington and kill US President Donald Trump.
The arrest took place on Thursday night, when Secret Service officers approached a man they considered to be “acting suspicious” inside a parked vehicle. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the man was taken into custody and charged following the discovery.
Suspect allegedly heard voices telling him to kill Trump
According to a DHS statement, the suspect, identified as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, spoke to officers about hearing voices that were telling him to come to the US capital and kill the Republican president.
Officers subsequently found that the vehicle had been reported stolen. A search also uncovered three different firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition, the statement said.
DHS identifies suspect as Venezuelan migrant who entered US in 2024
DHS described Chrinos as a migrant from Venezuela who is in the US illegally. He entered the country through Texas in March 2024, according to the department.
He has since been charged and remains in the custody of the US Marshals Service.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised the officers involved in the arrest. “Thanks to our brave Secret Service officers, this illegal alien with three firearms in his vehicle was arrested near the White House before he could harm anyone,” he said in the statement.
The White House did not comment on the incident, referring questions to DHS and the US Secret Service.
Arrest comes amid threats against Trump and his family
The latest arrest comes amid a series of cases in which the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies have taken action against people accused of threatening the lives of Trump or members of his family since he returned to office last year.
(With inputs from AP)
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