Armed Venezuelan Man Arrested Near White House After Alleged Threat to Kill Trump

A 26-year-old Venezuelan national was arrested overnight Thursday into Friday near the White House in Washington, D.C., after U.S. Secret Service agents discovered three firearms and a large quantity of ammunition in his vehicle. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the suspect told investigators that he had heard voices instructing him to travel to the capital and kill President Donald Trump.

The suspect, Ronnie Yordericks Guanipa Chirinos, was located at approximately 11:42 p.m. local time Thursday inside a Ford F-150 pickup truck parked on Constitution Avenue, not far from the White House complex. During a search of the vehicle, Secret Service agents discovered an AR-15-style rifle, a Glock 43X handgun, and a MAC-10 firearm, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition.

Investigators determined that Chirinos had entered the United States illegally in March 2024. Authorities are now examining how he traveled to Washington, why he came to the heavily secured area, and where he obtained the weapons found in his vehicle.

Despite the statements attributed to the suspect by the Department of Homeland Security, the claim that he heard voices directing him to kill Trump does not appear in the published arrest affidavit. As a result, it remains unclear whether he had any genuine intention of carrying out an attack against the president.

The incident occurred just two days after the U.S. midterm elections, at a time when security measures surrounding the president and government institutions remained heightened. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not officially classified the incident as an assassination attempt.