Secret Service Arrests Armed Man Near White House Who Said Voices Told Him to Kill Trump

U.S. Secret Service officers arrested a man near the White House on Thursday evening after finding three firearms in a stolen vehicle and hearing him say he had come to Washington to kill President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Officers approached the suspect, Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, after spotting him acting suspiciously in a car parked on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. When they confronted him, he told them he had heard voices in his head telling him to come to the nation's capital and kill the president, according to the department's statement.

A check of the vehicle showed it had been reported stolen, and the suspect admitted he had weapons inside. Officers recovered three firearms — an AR-15-style rifle, a Mac 10 and a Glock 43X — along with dozens of rounds of ammunition.

Chrinos, a Venezuelan national, entered the United States through Texas in March 2024 and was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol, the department said. He was later released into the country, according to the statement.

He has been charged with carrying a rifle outside of a home or business, three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of possessing unregistered firearms, three counts of possessing unregistered ammunition, possession of certain dangerous weapons, carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft and receiving stolen property.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer for Chrinos with the U.S. Marshals Service, which has him in custody.

"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.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the incident reflects a growing threat posed by armed individuals "drawn to the White House complex." The White House did not comment, referring questions to the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service.

The arrest is the latest in a series of cases in which the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies have detained people accused of threatening the president or members of his family since he returned to office last year.