The US Secret Service arrested a Venezuelan man named Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos near the White House on Thursday. Secret Service officers approached him as his parked vehicle looked suspicious. When officers questioned him, the man stated that voices in his head told him to travel to Washington and kill President Donald Trump. Officers found guns inside his vehicle, the Department of Homeland Security also confirmed the details on Friday (local time).

Secret Service Arrests Armed Suspect

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the incident took place on Thursday evening, at Constitution Avenue in Washington when Secret Service officers noticed Chrinos behaving suspiciously inside his parked car and approached him for questioning. During the questioning, Chrinos reportedly told the officers that he had been hearing voices in his head.

He said these voices were telling him to travel to Washington and kill Trump. Officers also discovered that the vehicle he was using had been reported stolen. When questioned about weapons, Chrinos admitted that firearms were inside the vehicle. A subsequent search uncovered three firearms, including one rifle, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition. The Secret Service officers arrested him before anyone was harmed.

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Multiple Criminal Charges Filed Against Him

Chrinos is facing several charges related to firearms and the stolen vehicle. These include carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts of illegally transporting firearms, three counts of possessing unregistered firearms, and three counts of possessing unregistered ammunition. Following his arrest, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed an immigration detainer on Chrinos with the US Marshals Service.

DHS Secretary Praises Secret Service Officers

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised the Secret Service officers for stopping the suspect before he could cause harm. He also highlighted that Chrinos was a Venezuelan national who was allegedly living in the US illegally.

"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. On top of threatening President Trump, he is an illegal alien from Venezuela who had no business being in our country in the first place. 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. It’s an honour to work alongside Director Sean Curran and all of the patriots at the U.S. Secret Service," said Mullin.

Previous Assassination Attempts

Trump has faced several assassination attempts and security threats in recent years. In July 2024, a gunman opened fire at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing Trump's right ear and killing one audience member while injuring two others. In September 2024, another armed suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was caught near Trump International Golf Club in Florida. In April this year, Cole Tomas Allen was arrested following a gunfire incident near the venue of the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington.

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