Secret Service Arrests Armed Venezuelan Man Near White House, DHS Says He Admitted Plan to Target Trump

Washington, DC: US Secret Service officers arrested a 26-year-old Venezuelan national near the White House on Thursday night after finding him in a stolen vehicle with multiple firearms and ammunition. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the man told officers he had been hearing voices instructing him to travel to the capital and kill President Donald Trump.

The arrest has drawn attention to White House security, and the DHS account has also revived political debate over immigration enforcement. The allegations below come from DHS and have not been tested in court.

What happened on Constitution Avenue

According to DHS, the incident took place on Thursday night on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC. Secret Service officers noticed a man behaving suspiciously inside a parked vehicle. He has been identified as Ronny Yodrix Guanipa Chrinos.

Officers then determined that the vehicle was stolen, DHS said. The man also admitted to having weapons inside. A search reportedly turned up three different firearms, including a rifle, along with multiple rounds of ammunition. The agency did not say how close the vehicle was to the White House grounds.

Suspect allegedly cited “voices”

A DHS press release stated that the suspect told authorities he heard voices in his head telling him to go to Washington and kill the president. That is DHS’s description of his statements, and it is not a finding by a court. Nothing in the department’s account describes a specific plan, a confirmed attempt to reach the president or any shots fired. No injuries were reported. It also remains unclear what role, if any, his reported mental state will play in the legal proceedings.

Charges filed

The suspect faces a long list of charges, which include:

• Carrying a firearm outside a home or business
• Unlawful transportation of a firearm
• Unregistered firearms
• Unregistered ammunition
• Possession of certain dangerous weapons
• Carrying a pistol without a license
• Unauthorised use of a motor vehicle
• Theft and receiving stolen property

Some of the ammunition-related counts were filed three times each because he allegedly carried three firearms. A charge is an allegation, and the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Immigration background

DHS said the man entered the United States through Texas in March 2024, was apprehended by US Border Patrol and was then released into the country. The department said this happened under the Biden administration. This is DHS’s account of his immigration history, and the department has not published his full case file.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer against him. A detainer is a request that the agency be notified before the person is released, so that it can take custody for possible immigration proceedings. He is currently held by the US Marshals Service.

Homeland Security Secretary’s statement

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin described the suspect as an “illegal alien” from Venezuela who had no business being in the country. He said that, on top of threatening the president, the man should not have been in the United States at all. Mullin also praised the Secret Service, saying its personnel risk their lives every day to protect the nation’s leaders, and he thanked Director Sean Curran and the agency’s officers.

The department framed the arrest as an example of the agency’s daily work, and it linked the case to its criticism of past border policy. That framing is a political characterisation by the administration, and readers should treat it as the department’s position rather than as an established finding.

Why the case matters

Any arrest involving weapons near the White House raises questions about how the Secret Service detects and stops threats. In this case, officers appear to have spotted a suspicious vehicle and acted before any harm occurred. The agency’s protective mission covers the president and other senior officials, and it relies on early detection of exactly this kind of situation.

The case also sits at the centre of a charged political debate over border enforcement and the release of migrants after apprehension. Supporters of stricter enforcement are likely to point to the suspect’s reported entry in March 2024. Critics of such arguments typically caution against drawing broad conclusions about immigrant communities from the actions of one individual. Both views are likely to surface as the case moves forward.

What is still unknown

Several important details have not been made public:

• Whether the suspect had any prior contact with law enforcement in the US
• How he obtained the firearms and the stolen vehicle
• How long he had been in Washington
• Whether a mental health evaluation will be ordered
• Whether federal prosecutors will add further charges

Court filings in the coming days should give a clearer picture of the evidence and of the government’s account of the suspect’s intentions.

What happens next

The suspect remains in US Marshals custody while the charges proceed. The ICE detainer means immigration authorities will be informed before any release. The Secret Service has not issued a detailed public account beyond the DHS release, and further statements are likely as the investigation develops.

Note: The suspect’s name appears with slightly different spellings in the source report. Verify it against official court records before publication.