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A Venezuelan national was arrested near the White House after allegedly telling Secret Service officers that voices in his head had instructed him to travel to Washington and kill U.S. President Donald Trump.
The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, was taken into custody Thursday night after Secret Service officers approached a parked vehicle on Constitution Avenue near the White House complex, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Officers initially approached the vehicle after noticing suspicious behavior. A court affidavit cited by NBC News stated that Chrinos was asleep inside a blue Ford F-150 pickup truck when officers woke him at 11:42 p.m. local time (GMT-5) Thursday.
The encounter began as a welfare check. During their interaction, Chrinos used Google Translate to communicate with officers and indicated that he had weapons he wanted to surrender.
According to DHS, he also told officers that voices in his head had directed him to travel to the U.S. capital and kill Trump. However, the alleged threat did not appear in the court affidavit, which documented other statements the suspect made during the encounter.
A subsequent search uncovered three firearms: an AR-15-style rifle, a MAC-10 machine pistol and a Glock 43X handgun. Officers also recovered dozens of rounds of ammunition.
Authorities determined that the pickup truck had been reported stolen. According to the court affidavit, Chrinos told investigators that the vehicle belonged to his employer, who had lent it to him.
DHS identified Chrinos as a Venezuelan national who entered the United States through Texas in March 2024. The department said Border Patrol agents arrested him after his entry but subsequently released him.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer with the Marshals Service, seeking to ensure he remained in custody for potential immigration proceedings.
The arrest came amid growing concerns over threats against Trump since his return to office in January 2025, including an alleged assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 25, 2026.
An armed suspect opened fire at a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel, where Trump and senior administration officials were attending the event. A Secret Service agent was wounded, while Trump and other officials were evacuated.
Warnings about potential assassination plots have also emerged from U.S. intelligence agencies. In August, Israel had repeatedly warned Washington about alleged Iranian plans to assassinate Trump, including possible sniper attacks and attempts involving knives at public events.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in July that the agency was operating in a heightened threat environment, citing an increase in threats against the president.
A September report by the Government Accountability Office also identified 83 security incidents affecting the Secret Service's protective operations between fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2025, including the 2024 assassination attempts against Trump and the April 2026 attack.
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