Armed man arrested near White House over Trump threat
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Secret Service arrested a 26-year-old Venezuelan man with three firearms in a stolen truck near the White House.
DHS says he told officers voices urged him to kill President Trump.
Background
Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos is a 26-year-old Venezuelan national now in U.S. Marshals custody. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he entered the U.S. illegally in 2024, was arrested by Border Patrol and later released. The Secret Service says the White House has seen a significant uptick in instances involving mental health issues, with the presidency acting as a symbolic focal point for people with such issues.
How it unfolded
- 2024Guanipa Chrinos entered the U.S. illegally through Texas, per DHS; Border Patrol arrested and later released him.
- Nov 5, 2026 23:42Secret Service officers spotted him acting suspiciously in a parked blue Ford F-150 on Constitution Avenue near the White House and confronted him.
- Nov 5, 2026Officers found an AR-15-style rifle, a MAC-10 machine pistol and a Glock 43X pistol plus dozens of rounds of ammunition in the vehicle, which had been reported stolen.
- Nov 5, 2026He was arrested on firearms charges plus unauthorized use of a vehicle and receiving stolen property.
- Nov 6, 2026DHS announced the arrest; he was in U.S. Marshals custody and ICE lodged a detainer.
- Nov 6, 2026He made an initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court and remains held without bond, per online court records.
- Nov 9, 2026He is due in federal court, per a federal law enforcement source; prosecutors are reviewing the evidence.
Key terms
- DHS
- U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, including anti-terrorism, immigration, border control, and cybersecurity.
- U.S. Marshals
- Federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice that protects the federal judiciary and enforces its decisions.
- ICE
- Federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security that enforces immigration and customs laws.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- DHS says the suspect told officers he heard voices telling him to come to Washington, D.C. and kill President Trump.
- Official
- Secret Service Director Sean Curran called the arrest the latest example of officers deescalating a volatile situation posing an imminent threat, reflecting a heightened threat environment.
- Official
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Secret Service officers arrested the man before he could harm anyone.
- Caution
- ABC News noted the affidavit did not include the alleged remarks about voices telling him to kill Trump.
Still unverified
The alleged remarks about voices telling him to kill Trump come from DHS; the affidavit did not include them, per ABC News. It was not clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.