On a cold November stretch of Constitution Avenue, a few steps from the seat of American executive power, a routine look at a parked car became something heavier. A man, whose account of voices in his head seemed to point him toward Washington and toward the President, was found with rifles and ammunition in a vehicle that had been reported stolen. The arrest places a familiar human fear in a new setting: the lone person whose private turmoil finds a public target. Much remains unsettled, from his state of mind to the path that brought him there, and the courts will now decide what the case me
Man Charged After Three Firearms Found in Stolen Car Near White House; Secret Service Cites Threat to Trump
He told officers voices urged him to come to Washington and kill the president
Mark
Start with the basics. What actually happened on Constitution Avenue?
Mimi
Secret Service officers saw a man acting suspiciously in a parked car on November 5. When they approached, he said voices were telling him to come to Washington and kill the president. The car turned out to be reported stolen, and inside were three firearms, including a rifle, and dozens of rounds of ammunition.
Mark
So the arrest came from a conversation, not an intercepted plot.
Mimi
As described, yes. Officers approached because of his behavior, and he volunteered the statement and admitted to the weapons.
Luke
Worth noting that the statement is the Secret Service's account. We don't have a court record or a recording in this reporting. It's attributed, not independently verified.
Mark
What about the charges?
Mimi
There are many: carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts each of unlawful transportation, unregistered firearms and unregistered ammunition, plus a pistol without a license, theft, receiving stolen property and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Luke
And notice none of what's listed is an explicit threat charge. The list is weapons and vehicle offenses. Whether prosecutors add anything about the threat isn't stated.
Mark
Officials also stressed his immigration status. How should a reader weigh that?
Mimi
The Secret Service says he entered illegally through Texas in March 2024, and ICE has lodged a detainer. Secretary Mullin made that a central point.
Luke
Again, that comes from the agency and the department. It's reported as confirmed by the USSS, but we haven't seen documents. And the voices he described point to a question about his mental state that nobody has answered yet.
Mark
And Curran's comment about a heightened threat environment?
Mimi
He said armed people keep being drawn to the White House complex and that the agency is alarmed by rising threat cases. He didn't give figures here.
Luke
Right, no numbers. It's a characterization from the person who leads the agency, so treat the trend as his assessment until data is shown.
Le Pouls
- Officers noticed a man acting strangely in a parked car just steps from the White House, and the encounter escalated within minutes.
- Three firearms, including a rifle, and dozens of rounds of ammunition were pulled from a car reported stolen.
- Federal prosecutors have stacked weapons and vehicle charges against him, and immigration authorities have placed a detainer on him.
- The Secret Service warns of a heightened threat environment, with the perimeter now under renewed scrutiny and no court outcome yet in sight.
On a cold November stretch of Constitution Avenue, a few steps from the seat of American executive power, a routine look at a parked car became something heavier. A man, whose account of voices in his head seemed to point him toward Washington and toward the President, was found with rifles and ammunition in a vehicle that had been reported stolen. The arrest places a familiar human fear in a new setting: the lone person whose private turmoil finds a public target. Much remains unsettled, from his state of mind to the path that brought him there, and the courts will now decide what the case means.
On November 5, Secret Service officers on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C., noticed a man acting suspiciously in a parked car a short distance from the White House. When they approached, he told them he had heard voices telling him to come to Washington and kill President Trump. That single admission changed a routine check into an arrest.
The officers soon learned the car had been reported stolen, and the man admitted there were weapons inside. A search found three firearms, one of them a rifle, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition. He was taken into custody on the spot.
The suspect has been identified as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos. According to the Secret Service, he is a Venezuelan national who entered the country illegally through Texas in March 2024. These details come from the agency and have not been independently confirmed.
He faces a long list of federal charges, including weapons, unregistered firearm and ammunition counts, and vehicle theft. Immigration authorities have lodged a detainer, and he remains in U.S. Marshals custody. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised the officers for stopping the man before he could harm anyone, while Secret Service Director Sean Curran described a heightened threat environment and a steady stream of armed people drawn to the White House complex.
Much is still unknown, including the man's mental state, where the car was taken, and how he reached Constitution Avenue. The charges are allegations, and no court outcome has been reported. What comes next will be the course of the case and whether the rise in threat cases leads to changes at the White House perimeter.
On November 5, officers of the U.S. Secret Service noticed a man behaving suspiciously in a parked car on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C., a short distance from the White House. They walked up to the vehicle. What the man said next turned a routine check into an arrest: according to the Secret Service, he told them he heard voices in his head telling him to come to Washington and kill President Trump.
The officers then learned that the car had been reported stolen. The man also admitted there were weapons inside. A search turned up three firearms, one of them a rifle, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition. The officers arrested him on the spot.
The suspect has been named as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos. The Secret Service says he is a Venezuelan national who entered the United States illegally through Texas in March 2024. Those details come from the agency's account, and the reporting so far does not include any independent confirmation of his immigration history or of what he said to the officers.
The list of charges is long. Chrinos is accused of carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of unregistered firearms, and three counts of unregistered ammunition. He also faces charges of possessing certain dangerous weapons, carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft, and receiving stolen property.
After the arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer for him with the U.S. Marshals Service. He is currently in Marshals custody.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised the officers, saying the arrest came before the man could harm anyone. Mullin also emphasized Chrinos's immigration status, calling him an illegal alien from Venezuela who had no business in the country. He described the case as an example of the daily work of the Secret Service and said it was an honor to work alongside Director Sean Curran.
Curran framed the episode as the latest instance of personnel using extensive training and experience to defuse a volatile situation that posed an imminent threat to those under the agency's protection and to other Americans. He said it reflects a heightened threat environment and a continued stream of armed people drawn to the White House complex. Curran added that the agency is confident in its tactics but alarmed by the rise in threat cases.
What remains unclear from the public account is the man's mental state, where the car was stolen, and how he came to be on Constitution Avenue. The charges are allegations, and no court outcome has been reported. The questions to watch are how the case proceeds in court and whether the rise in threat cases that Curran described leads to changes in security around the White House perimeter.
Citations marquantes
This incident reflects the heightened threat environment in which we operate, and we are alarmed by the increase in threat cases.— Sean Curran, Secret Service Director (paraphrased)
The arrest happened before the man could harm anyone, thanks to Secret Service officers.— Markwayne Mullin, Homeland Security Secretary (paraphrased)
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