Venezuelan man held near White House after alleged threat against Trump
Washington: A Venezuelan national has been arrested near the White House after US Secret Service officers found three firearms and ammunition in a stolen vehicle. Authorities said the man told them that voices in his head had urged him to kill President Donald Trump.
The suspect, identified as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, was taken into custody late Thursday after officers noticed him behaving suspiciously in a blue Ford F-150 pickup parked on Constitution Avenue. According to a criminal complaint filed in DC Superior Court, the officer approached the vehicle and asked whether he was safe and whether he had any weapons.
Chrinos reportedly indicated that he was carrying weapons and made a finger-gun gesture before stepping out of the truck. He communicated with investigators through Google Translate, according to the complaint.
During questioning, he allegedly said he had a gun because someone had tried to kill him with it and that he had taken it from that person. He also directed officers to a brown bag inside the vehicle.
A search of the stolen pickup uncovered an AR-15-style rifle, a MAC-10 handgun, a Glock 43X pistol and dozens of rounds of ammunition.
The Department of Homeland Security said Chrinos told officers that voices had instructed him to travel to Washington and kill Trump.
He appeared before the DC Superior Court on Friday and remains in custody without bond, according to online court records.
DHS identified Chrinos as an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who entered the United States through Texas in March 2024. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged an immigration detainer against him.
The arrest has renewed focus on security around the president and the White House, which remains under heightened protection.
Earlier this year, authorities charged Cole Tomas Allen in connection with a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Allen faces charges including attempted assassination of the president, interstate transportation of a firearm to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
(Inputs from IANS)