Secret Service officers arrested an armed man in a stolen car blocks from the White House after, officials say, he told them voices in his head sent him to Washington to kill President Trump.
Story Highlights
- Officers found three guns, including a rifle, and dozens of rounds of ammunition in the car on Constitution Avenue near the Ellipse.
- The Department of Homeland Security says the man told officers he heard voices telling him to come to Washington and assassinate the president.
- DHS identified him as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, a Venezuelan who it says entered the U.S. illegally in March 2024 and was later released.
- He is accused of gun, ammunition, stolen car and theft charges and has not been convicted of any crime.
Armed Man Stopped Blocks From the White House
On Thursday night, November 5, Secret Service officers saw a man acting suspiciously in a car parked on Constitution Avenue, within blocks of the White House. A law enforcement source placed the car on the 1600 block of Constitution Avenue NW, next to the Ellipse, the large park directly south of the White House grounds. Officers walked up to the car and learned it had been reported stolen. According to DHS, the man admitted there were weapons inside.
A search turned up three firearms, including a rifle, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition. DHS released a photo of the seized weapons. The Secret Service is the federal agency that guards the president, and its uniformed officers patrol the streets around the White House every day.
What Officials Say He Told Officers
The reason he was there comes from his own words, according to DHS. The department says the man told officers he “had heard voices in his head telling him to come to Washington, D.C., and assassinate Mr. Trump.” That statement is the government’s account of the encounter. Officials have not released a recording or a transcript of it.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the arrest showed “Secret Service personnel relying on extensive training and experience to deescalate a volatile situation.” To deescalate means to calm a tense moment before it turns violent. Officers took the man into custody without anyone being hurt.
Charges Filed Over Guns and a Stolen Car
DHS says the man faces three counts each of unlawful transportation of a firearm, carrying unregistered firearms and carrying unregistered ammunition. Washington, D.C., requires guns and ammunition to be registered with police. He also faces one count each of possessing certain dangerous weapons, carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft and receiving stolen property.
These are accusations. He has not been tried or convicted. Officials have not said whether he has a lawyer, and no response from him or a lawyer has been made public. DHS says Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on him, which is a request that he be held so immigration officers can take custody of him.
DHS Points to His Release in 2024
DHS says Guanipa Chrinos crossed into the United States through Texas in March 2024. Border Patrol arrested him, the department says, but he was later released into the country under the Biden administration.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised the officers. “This illegal alien with three firearms in his vehicle was arrested near the White House before he could harm anyone,” Mullin said. He added that the man “had no business being in our country in the first place.” For many Americans, the case is one more reason to ask how people released at the border are tracked once they are inside the country.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, cbsnews.com (video)
