Payam Javan: U.S. Secret Service officers arrested a Venezuelan man near the White House on Thursday evening after he allegedly told authorities that voices had instructed him to kill President Donald Trump. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the suspect as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, who was reportedly found behaving suspiciously inside a vehicle parked along Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.
According to DHS, the vehicle had been reported stolen. Officers searching the car discovered three firearms, including a rifle, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition. Chrinos now faces multiple weapons-related charges, as well as allegations involving theft, receiving stolen property and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Authorities said he allegedly told officers that voices in his head had directed him to travel to Washington and assassinate the president, and that he had weapons inside the vehicle.
The charges listed by DHS include three counts each of unlawful transportation of a firearm, possession of unregistered firearms and possession of unregistered ammunition. Additional charges involve carrying a rifle outside a residence or place of business and carrying a pistol without a license. The department’s announcement did not list a separate charge of threatening the president. Chrinos remains in U.S. Marshals Service custody, while immigration authorities have requested that he be detained for possible transfer to their custody.
DHS said Chrinos entered the United States illegally through Texas in March 2024, where Border Patrol agents initially arrested him before he was later released during the Biden administration. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised the Secret Service officers for preventing a potentially dangerous incident. Secret Service Director Sean Curran also warned that the agency continues to face increasing security threats and said it would strengthen efforts to identify and investigate individuals making threats before they reach Washington.
The arrest comes amid several recent security incidents involving threats against Trump and shootings near the White House. In July, a West Virginia man was charged with threatening the president and federal agents, while another suspect faced charges in October after allegedly sending threats involving bombings in Washington. Two separate shootings near the White House in May also prompted responses from Secret Service officers, leaving suspects and bystanders injured or dead. Authorities have not established a connection between those incidents and the latest arrest.
