An undocumented Venezuelan national was arrested near the White House after U.S. Secret Service officers discovered three firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition in his parked vehicle. Authorities said the suspect claimed he heard voices in his head instructing him to travel to Washington, D.C., and assassinate President Donald Trump.
Secret Service officers approached a suspect acting suspicious in his car while it was parked on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. on Thursday evening, November 5, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Officers initiated the encounter as a welfare check after spotting a blue Ford F-150 parked near the White House complex shortly before midnight, according to court documents.
When officers woke and confronted the driver, 26-year-old Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, he used Google Translate to communicate that he had weapons he wanted to surrender.
Court affidavits state that Chrinos told investigators I have the gun because they tried to kill me with it, and I had to take it away from them; it’s in the brown bag.
Officers Recover Three Firearms From a Stolen Vehicle
A search of the vehicle revealed that it had been reported stolen.
Inside, officers recovered an AR-15-style rifle, a MAC-10 machine pistol, a Glock 43X handgun, and dozens of rounds of ammunition,
according to DHS statements and court filings.
Chrinos was taken into custody and charged in D.C. Superior Court with carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of unregistered firearms, three counts of unregistered ammunition, possession of certain dangerous weapons, carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft, and receiving stolen property.
Following his arraignment on Friday, he was held without bond.
Federal Officials Lodge an Immigration Detainer
Federal records show that Chrinos entered the United States illegally through Texas in March 2024, where he was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol before being released into the country under the Biden administration.
Following his arrest by Secret Service officers, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an immigration detainer against him with the U.S. Marshals Service.
Secret Service Directors Praise the Arrest
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin commended the officers for stopping the suspect.
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
Director Sean Curran, Secret Service
U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran also noted that the agency remains alarmed by the increase in threat cases that continue to arise
and emphasized that the organization will continue to focus on proactively investigating and identifying individuals
who pose a danger to protectees before they reach the nation’s capital.
How did Chrinos acquire the stolen vehicle and the three firearms before parking near the White House?