A man has been arrested near the White House after US Secret Service officers found several firearms and ammunition in his vehicle. Authorities said the suspect claimed that voices in his head had told him to travel to Washington and kill President Donald Trump.
The arrest took place on Thursday night after officers noticed a man behaving suspiciously inside a parked vehicle. According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, officers approached the car and began questioning him.
During the encounter, the suspect, identified as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, reportedly spoke about hearing voices that instructed him to come to the US capital and kill the Republican president.
Officers later discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen. A search also uncovered three firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition. The authorities did not provide further details about the weapons or how the suspect obtained them.
The Department of Homeland Security said Chrinos had been charged and placed in the custody of the US Marshals Service. Officials described him as a Venezuelan national who was living in the United States illegally.
According to the department, Chrinos entered the country through Texas in March 2024. His immigration status is now part of the case being handled by federal authorities.
The White House did not issue a separate statement about the arrest. Officials directed questions to the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service.
The incident adds to a series of cases involving threats against Trump and members of his family since he returned to the White House last year. The Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies have investigated and arrested people accused of making threats against the president.
The latest case has also renewed attention on security around the White House. The area is protected by several layers of law enforcement, including the Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the president and other senior government officials.
Secret Service officers regularly monitor activity around the White House grounds and nearby streets. Suspicious behaviour, reported threats and possible security risks can lead to questioning or further investigation.
In this case, the officers’ decision to approach the parked vehicle led to the discovery of the reported stolen car and the firearms inside it. Authorities have not said whether the suspect had attempted to approach the White House itself or had made any direct contact with the president.
Officials have also not released further information about the alleged threats, including when the suspect first made them or whether investigators found evidence of a wider plan. The reported statements about voices in his head have not been independently assessed in the information released by the authorities.
The suspect now remains in federal custody as the case moves through the legal process. Further details about the charges and any court proceedings were not included in the initial public statement.
The investigation will determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged threat, the stolen vehicle and the weapons found inside it. Authorities have not announced whether additional charges may follow.
The Secret Service has not provided further public details about the operation. For now, the arrest remains another security case involving an alleged threat against Trump, with federal officials continuing to investigate the suspect’s actions and the weapons recovered near the presidential residence.
