Secret Service found firearms in a stolen truck near the White House. DHS says the driver threatened Trump
A Venezuelan man was arrested Thursday night after Secret Service officers found him parked near the White House in a stolen vehicle containing several firearms, according to a criminal complaint and the Department of Homeland Security. DHS identified the suspect as Ronny Guanipa-Chrinos. The department said he told officers he had heard voices telling him to travel to Washington and kill President Donald Trump. Those remarks are not in the court affidavit.
An officer on patrol spotted the blue Ford F-150 on Constitution Avenue shortly before midnight, near the Ellipse, according to the affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court. When asked whether he had any weapons, the suspect allegedly nodded and made a finger-gun gesture. Investigators said he later told officers, through a translation app, that the gun was in a brown bag.
Officers recovered a MAC-10 machine pistol, a Glock 43x pistol and an AR-15 rifle, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition, according to the affidavit and DHS. The vehicle had been reported stolen. Guanipa-Chrinos is charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, receiving stolen property, carrying a pistol and a rifle without a license, and other firearms offenses. He made an initial appearance Friday and is being held without bond, according to online court records.
DHS said the suspect entered the United States through Texas in March 2024 and was arrested by Border Patrol before being released. Secret Service Director Sean Curran said officers relied on their training to defuse a volatile situation. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the arrest came before anyone was harmed. It was not immediately clear whether Guanipa-Chrinos has an attorney. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This report draws on ABC News and CBS News.