The US Secret Service on Thursday arrested a man near the White House after allegedly finding multiple firearms in a stolen vehicle and learning he had threatened to kill US President Donald Trump.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents identified Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, a Venezuelan national whom DHS said entered the United States illegally, behaving suspiciously inside a vehicle parked near the White House.
DHS said that when agents approached him, Chrinos claimed he had been hearing voices instructing him to travel to Washington, DC, and kill Trump. Agents subsequently discovered the vehicle had been reported stolen, and the suspect admitted there were weapons inside it.
A search of the vehicle uncovered a rifle, two handguns and dozens of rounds of ammunition, according to DHS.
Chrinos was arrested on multiple firearms-related charges, as well as charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle and receiving stolen property. He is currently being held by the US Marshals Service. DHS said he entered the United States illegally in 2024.
US Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the case highlighted the agency’s ability to defuse potentially dangerous situations and reflected the elevated threat environment around the White House, where armed individuals continue to pose security concerns.
The Secret Service also noted a rise in incidents involving individuals with mental health issues, saying the White House and the presidency can serve as symbolic focal points for such individuals.
In May, Secret Service officers fatally shot a man with a history of mental health problems after he opened fire near a White House security checkpoint.
