A Venezuelan illegal immigrant was arrested Thursday outside the White House after officers discovered three firearms in his vehicle and heard him claim voices were urging him to kill President Donald Trump. Authorities acted quickly to prevent any potential harm.
Arrest Details
Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos was stopped in a stolen vehicle on Constitution Avenue after Secret Service agents observed suspicious conduct, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was traveling in a vehicle reported stolen.
Chrinos told officers he was hearing voices instructing him to travel to the nation’s capital and kill Trump. A search of the vehicle uncovered an AR‑15‑style rifle, a MAC‑10, a Glock 43X handgun and dozens of rounds of ammunition.
Charges and Background
He faces multiple weapons and vehicle‑related charges, including carrying a rifle outside a home or business, unlawful transportation of firearms, possession of unregistered firearms and ammunition, carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft and receiving stolen property. The charges were filed by federal prosecutors.
DHS said Chrinos illegally crossed the southern border into Texas in March 2024, was briefly detained by Border Patrol and later released into the country under the Biden administration. He was released after a brief detention.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Chrinos with the U.S. Marshals Service, which now holds him in custody.
“Thanks to our brave Secret Service officers, this 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. “On top of threatening President Trump, he is an illegal alien from Venezuela who had no business being in our country in the first place.”
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the arrest highlighted the growing danger posed by armed individuals targeting the White House complex. This is the latest example of Secret Service personnel using extensive training and experience to deescalate a volatile situation that posed an imminent threat to our protectees and other Americans,” Curran said. “We are alarmed by the increase in threat cases and will expand efforts to identify and investigate individuals threatening protectees before they reach Washington.”
Trump has survived multiple assassination attempts in recent years. In July 2024 a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing Trump’s ear and killing attendee Corey Comperatore. A second suspect, Ryan Routh, was arrested in September 2024 after a Secret Service agent spotted him hiding near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, and faces federal charges.
In April 2026 a gunman attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton, firing at officers near a security checkpoint before being detained. The plot was thwarted before any casualties occurred.
In May, Secret Service personnel shot and killed a man who opened fire on a White House checkpoint. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.
