US Secret Service agents arrested a man near the White House on Thursday after he allegedly threatened to kill President Donald Trump and was found with guns in a stolen car, the Department of Homeland Security said on Friday.
Agents noticed Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos acting suspiciously in a car beside the White House, the department said in a statement.
“When they confronted the suspect, he said that he heard voices in his head telling him to come to Washington, D.C. and kill President Trump,” it said, according to CNN.
Officers discovered that the car had been reported stolen and found a rifle, two handguns and dozens of rounds of ammunition inside, the department said.
Guanipa Chrinos was arrested on firearms charges, as well as charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle and receiving stolen property. He was in US Marshals Service custody.
The department said he was a Venezuelan national who had entered the United States illegally in 2024.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the arrest reflected a “heightened threat environment” and the continued number of armed people drawn to the White House.
The Secret Service has reported an increase in incidents involving mental health issues near the White House. In May, officers shot and killed a man with a history of mental health issues after he opened fire near a White House security checkpoint.
