A heavily armed man who claimed that voices in his head had instructed him to assassinate US President Donald Trump has been arrested near the White House, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The suspect, identified as Venezuelan national Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, was detained on Thursday evening after Secret Service officers spotted him behaving suspiciously inside a parked vehicle on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC.
When approached by the officers, Chrinos reportedly told them that he had been hearing voices directing him to travel to the US capital and kill Trump. The agents subsequently discovered that his vehicle had been reported stolen and that he was carrying multiple weapons.
A search of the car uncovered an AR-15-style rifle, a MAC-10 firearm, a Glock 43X pistol and dozens of rounds of ammunition, according to DHS. Photographs released by the authorities showed the confiscated weapons and the suspect.
Venezuelan man found with weapons near the White House told police he came to D.C. because 'he heard voices in his head' telling him to 'kill President Trump,' DHS says https://t.co/xlKCrrIqsc
Chrinos was arrested on numerous charges, including unlawful transportation of firearms, possession of unregistered weapons and ammunition, carrying a pistol without a license, theft and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Authorities have not announced a separate charge of attempting to assassinate the president.
DHS said the suspect had illegally crossed the US-Mexico border into Texas in March 2024, when he was apprehended by Border Patrol agents but subsequently released into the country under former President Joe Biden’s administration. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer against Chrinos, who remains in the custody of the US Marshals Service.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran described the encounter as an example of the growing danger posed by armed individuals drawn to the presidential residence.
“We are alarmed by the increase in threat cases that continue to arise,” Curran said, pledging to expand efforts to identify potential attackers before they reach Washington.
Trump has faced multiple assassination attempts and other security threats in recent years. He narrowly survived a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, when a bullet grazed his ear. Another armed suspect was apprehended near his Florida golf course two months later.
The latest arrest comes amid heightened security concerns in Washington, where another man was detained earlier this week after allegedly pointing a finger in a shooting gesture at National Guard personnel near the White House.
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