The U.S. Secret Service has arrested a man near the White House after officers found three firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition in his vehicle, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.
Officers approached the man, who was acting suspiciously in a parked car on Constitution Avenue, late on Thursday night. The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, allegedly told officers that voices in his head were telling him to come to Washington and kill President Donald Trump, according to the DHS statement.
A search of the vehicle, which officers discovered had been reported stolen, uncovered an AR-15-style rifle, a MAC-10 machine pistol and a Glock 43X handgun, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition.
Chr… appeared before the District of Columbia Superior Court on Friday and was ordered held without bond, according to court records cited by US media. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
DHS described Chrinos as a Venezuelan national who entered the United States illegally through Texas in March 2024. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed an immigration detainer on him.
“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,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in the statement.
Authorities have not publicly said whether the suspect had a specific plan to attack the president or had tried to enter the White House complex. ABC News noted that the allegation about the voices appeared in the DHS statement but not in the criminal complaint describing the encounter.
The White House did not comment, referring questions to DHS and the Secret Service.
Source: The Hindu — https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/secret-service-arrests-man-near-white-house-after-he-said-he-heard-voices-telling-him-to-kill-trump/article71677332.ece
