A Venezuelan man carrying multiple firearms in his vehicle and allegedly telling officers that voices in his head urged him to kill US President Donald Trump was arrested near the White House on Thursday, according to federal authorities.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Friday that Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos was approached by Secret Service officers after they noticed suspicious behaviour while he was parked along Constitution Avenue.
“When they confronted the suspect, he said that he heard voices in his head telling him to come to Washington, D.C. and kill President Trump,” DHS said in a statement.
According to a court affidavit filed by a Secret Service police officer, Chrinos, 26, was asleep inside a blue Ford F-150 parked near the White House when officers woke him at 11.42pm on Thursday.
The encounter initially began as a welfare check. However, Chrinos used Google Translate to tell an officer that he had weapons he wanted to surrender to the government, the affidavit said.
Three firearms and ammunition found in vehicle
Chrinos allegedly told officers that weapons were inside the vehicle, which authorities said had been reported stolen.
Officers subsequently found an AR-15-style rifle, a MAC-10 handgun, a Glock 43X pistol and ammunition, according to DHS.
The affidavit also detailed statements Chrinos allegedly made through Google Translate.
“I have the item they wanted to kill me over, along with the outfit to go with it; if you want, I can hand it over without putting up any resistance,” he reportedly told officers.
He also allegedly said: “I have the gun because they tried to kill me with it, and I had to take it away from them; it’s in the brown bag.”
Chrinos told investigators that the truck belonged to his employer, who had lent it to him. He also said he had purchased the weapons a month earlier and had been living in the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
Multiple firearms and vehicle-related charges
DHS said Chrinos faces charges of carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of possessing unregistered firearms and three counts of possessing unregistered ammunition.
He was also charged with possessing certain dangerous weapons, carrying a pistol without a licence, unauthorised use of a motor vehicle, theft and receiving stolen property.
A federal law enforcement source said prosecutors were reviewing the evidence against Chrinos and that he was expected to appear in federal court on Monday.
He remained in custody on Friday. It was unclear whether he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
DHS said Chrinos entered the United States illegally in 2024, was arrested by Border Patrol agents and was subsequently released. The department did not provide further details about his case.
Secret Service raises concern over threats
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the arrest demonstrated the agency’s training and its efforts to de-escalate potentially volatile situations.
“While our personnel are trained to respond to situations like this and we remain confident in our tactics, we are alarmed by the increase in threat cases that continue to arise,” Curran said in a statement.
