A 30-year-old Venezuelan man has been arrested by the US Secret Service officers next to the White House complex and was found with a lot of weapons inside the pickup truck he stole on Thursday night. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, the detained person, whose name is Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chirinos, told the police that he had voices in his head telling him to arrive to Washington, D.C. and kill Donald Trump.
How it happened: At around midnight, a uniformed agent from the Secret Service spotted a blue Ford F-150 parked near the White House which seemed suspicious.
The police officer approached the car and asked if the person inside felt safe or if he had any weapons on him.
Making an indicating gesture: In line with the documents presented in the District of Columbia Superior Court, Guanipa Chirinos agreed with the question and expressed with his finger that he has a gun.
Language barrier: After getting out of the truck, the suspect used Google Translate to talk to federal agents who said he had managed to take a gun from someone trying to kill him.
Weapons cache: Federal agents searched the truck and confiscated three guns — an AR-15 rifle, a MAC-10 submachine gun, and a Glock 43x pistol — as well as many live ammunition rounds.
Stolen vehicle: Federal databases confirmed that the Ford F-150 was reported stolen in South Carolina.
Secret service reveals escalating threat situation
DHS noted the statements made by the suspect about the voices that are “talking to” President Trump, but this was omitted in the police affidavit submitted to the D.C. court.
Sean Curran, US Secret Service Director, praised law enforcement officers and commented on the disturbing trend regarding the area surrounding the president.
“This incident reflects the heightened threat environment in which we operate, as well as the continued number of armed individuals who are drawn to the White House complex,” Curran stated.
Suspect held under multiple federal and district charges
The US Marshals Service took Guanipa Chirinos into custody following his initial processing.
Authorities formally charged the suspect with carrying a pistol without a license, carrying a rifle without a license, unauthorised use of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, and multiple counts of illegal ammunition possession.
