Secret Service Arrests Armed Illegal Migrant Near White House Who Allegedly Said He Came to Kill Trump
An illegal migrant from Venezuela was arrested just blocks from the White House after Secret Service officers allegedly found him in a stolen truck loaded with three firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition.
Secret Service officers arrested Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos shortly before midnight Thursday after noticing suspicious activity along Constitution Avenue in Washington, according to federal authorities.
The Department of Homeland Security said Chrinos allegedly told officers he had come to Washington intending to kill President Donald Trump.
"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.
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Rifle, Handguns and a Stolen Truck
According to a criminal complaint reported by ABC News, an officer on patrol approached a blue Ford F-150 parked on Constitution Avenue and asked Chrinos whether he was OK and whether he had any weapons.
Chrinos allegedly acknowledged having weapons and made a finger-gun gesture, according to the affidavit. Officers then learned the truck had been reported stolen, reportedly from South Carolina.
After Chrinos allegedly admitted there were guns inside, officers searched the vehicle and recovered an AR-15-style rifle, a Mac-10 and a Glock 43X, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition.
Released Under Biden
DHS says Chrinos entered the United States illegally through Texas in March 2024. Border Patrol apprehended him at the time, but he was released into the country during the Biden administration, according to the agency.
He now faces a long list of charges, including carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of possessing an unregistered firearm and three counts involving unregistered ammunition.
He is also charged with possession of certain dangerous weapons, carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft and receiving stolen property. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless convicted.
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Chrinos remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer against him.
"Heightened Threat Environment"
"Thanks to our brave Secret Service officers, this criminal illegal alien with three firearms in his vehicle was arrested near the White House before he could harm anyone," Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the case 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." He added that the agency is "alarmed by the increase in threat cases that continue to arise."
Curran also praised officers for de-escalating a situation that he said "posed an imminent threat to our protectees and other Americans."
The arrest follows multiple threats against Trump in recent years, including the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was wounded and rally attendee Corey Comperatore was killed, and a separate alleged plot at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024.
Authorities have not alleged that Chrinos fired a weapon or breached the secured White House grounds. Officers stopped him before any attack could take place.