A Venezuelan man caught with a rifle and two handguns in a stolen car near the White House told officers voices in his head had sent him to kill President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security says.
Story Highlights
- Secret Service officers arrested the man on Thursday night, November 5, on Constitution Avenue near the Ellipse, within blocks of the White House.
- DHS says he was carrying an AR-15-style rifle, two handguns and ammunition in a car that had been reported stolen.
- DHS says he crossed into Texas illegally in March 2024 and was released into the country after Border Patrol arrested him.
- He faces gun, ammunition, stolen car and theft charges; he is accused, not convicted.
The Arrest and What Officers Found
Secret Service officers noticed a man acting suspiciously inside a parked car on Constitution Avenue NW. The spot sits beside the Ellipse, the open park directly south of the White House where crowds gather for public events. When officers approached, they learned the car had been reported stolen, and DHS says the man admitted there were weapons inside.
DHS says officers found an AR-15-style rifle, a MAC-10 and a Glock 43X, along with ammunition. An AR-15-style rifle is a common semi-automatic rifle. The MAC-10 and the Glock 43X are compact handguns. DHS released a photo of the seized guns. DHS named the man as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos.
What He Told the Secret Service
According to DHS, the man told officers he was hearing voices in his head telling him to come to Washington and kill President Trump. That is the government’s account of what he said during the stop. Officials have not released a recording or a written record of the conversation.
The Secret Service guards the president and patrols the streets around the White House every day. Director Sean Curran said the arrest showed “Secret Service personnel relying on extensive training and experience to deescalate a volatile situation,” meaning officers calmed a dangerous moment before it turned violent. No one was hurt.
The Charges He Faces
DHS lists the charges as carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of unregistered firearms and three counts of unregistered ammunition. He is also charged with possessing certain dangerous weapons, carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft and receiving stolen property.
These are charges, not a verdict. He has not been tried. Officials have not said whether he has a lawyer, and no response from him has been made public. DHS says U.S. Marshals are holding him and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on him. A detainer is a request to keep a person in custody so immigration officers can pick him up.
How He Got Into the Country
DHS says Guanipa Chrinos crossed the Texas border illegally in March 2024. Border Patrol arrested him, and the department says the Biden administration then released him into the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised the officers who made the arrest. “This illegal alien with three firearms in his vehicle was arrested near the White House before he could harm anyone,” Mullin said. He also said the man “had no business being in our country in the first place.”
Why This Matters for Families
Americans expect the president to be safe, and they expect the people let in at the border to be checked and tracked. In this case, officers stopped an armed man in a stolen car a short walk from the White House before anyone was harmed. The case will move through the courts, where the government will have to prove its charges.