A Venezuelan migrant has been arrested near the White House after allegedly threatening to kill US President Donald Trump and being found in possession of multiple firearms inside a stolen vehicle, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The suspect was apprehended on Thursday evening by US Secret Service officers who reportedly noticed him behaving suspiciously inside a parked vehicle on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC.
According to DHS, the man told officers that he had heard voices instructing him to travel to the US capital and assassinate Trump.
Further investigations revealed that the vehicle had been reported stolen. The suspect also acknowledged having weapons inside the car, prompting officers to conduct a search.
The search reportedly uncovered three firearms, including an AR-15-style rifle and two handguns, as well as dozens of rounds of ammunition.
Authorities identified the suspect as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, who allegedly entered the United States illegally through Texas in March 2024 and was subsequently arrested by US Border Patrol agents.
However, officials said he was later released into the country under the administration of former President Joe Biden.
Following his arrest on Thursday, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Chrinos with the US Marshals Service, which currently has him in custody.
The Secret Service described the incident as another indication of the growing security threats posed by armed individuals approaching the White House complex.
In a statement, Secret Service Director Sean Curran commended officers for their response, saying their training and experience helped prevent a potentially dangerous situation from escalating.
“This is the latest example of Secret Service personnel relying on extensive training and experience to de-escalate a volatile situation that posed an imminent threat to our protectees and other Americans,” Curran said.
He expressed concern over the increasing number of security threats confronting the agency, despite its preparedness to handle such situations.
“While our personnel are trained to respond to situations like this, and we remain confident in our tactics, we are alarmed by the increase in threat cases that continue to arise,” he added.
Curran said the agency would continue to identify and investigate individuals considered potential threats before they could reach Washington and endanger public officials.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin also praised the Secret Service for stopping the suspect before anyone was harmed.
“This is just an example of the incredible work done by the men and women of the Secret Service every single day as they put their lives on the line to protect our nation’s leaders,” Mullin said.
Chrinos faces several charges, including carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of possessing an unregistered firearm and three counts of possessing unregistered ammunition.
Other charges include possession of certain dangerous weapons, carrying a pistol without a licence, unauthorised use of a motor vehicle, theft and receiving stolen property.
The arrest comes amid a series of security incidents involving suspicious individuals and attempted breaches around Washington’s key government facilities.
In a separate incident about three months ago, a California man identified as Philan-Tam-Duy Le was arrested near Capitol Hill after reportedly driving across the country with an operational 10-foot guillotine in his pickup truck.
There were also two separate incidents in which individuals rammed vehicles into security barriers near the White House, in March 2026 and October 2025.
