A Venezuelan man who told Secret Service officers that voices in his head were telling him to kill President Donald Trump was arrested near the White House after authorities found three firearms and ammunition inside a vehicle he was occupying, federal officials said.
Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos was approached by Secret Service on the night of Nov. 5, while parked on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC, according to a Nov. 6 statement from the Department of Homeland Security.
Officers noticed Chrinos acting suspiciously in the vehicle and approached him, DHS said. When questioned, he told officers he had heard voices telling him to travel to Washington and kill Trump, according to the department.
Authorities discovered the vehicle had been
reported stolen and found three firearms inside: an AR-15-style rifle, a MAC-10 and a Glock 43X pistol. Officers also recovered dozens of rounds of ammunition, DHS said.
What happened during the encounter near the White House?
According to NBC News, Chrinos, 26, was asleep inside a blue Ford F-150 when an officer approached the vehicle at approximately 11:42 p.m. Nov. 5.
The encounter initially began as a welfare check. Chrinos used Google Translate to tell the officer he had weapons he wanted to turn over to the government, NBC News reported.
He also allegedly told investigators through the translation app: "I have the gun because they tried to kill me with it, and I had to take it away from them; it's in the brown bag."
Chrinos told investigators the truck belonged to his boss, who had lent it to him. He also said he had purchased the firearms about a month earlier and had been living in the vehicle.
What charges does Chrinos face?
Chrinos faces multiple firearms and vehicle-related charges, DHS said, including carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of possessing unregistered firearms and three counts of possessing unregistered ammunition.
He was 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.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement requested that Chrinos be held for possible immigration proceedings. He remained in U.S. Marshals Service custody as of Nov. 6, DHS said.
USA TODAY was unable to locate information on an attorney for Chrinos.
What did DHS and the Secret Service say?
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised Secret Service officers for intervening before anyone was harmed.
"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," Mullin said in the DHS statement.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the incident demonstrated the agency's training and efforts to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations. He also expressed concern about an increase in threats against people the agency protects.
DHS said Chrinos entered the United States illegally through Texas in March 2024 and was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol before being released into the country.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man who said voices told him to kill Trump arrested near White House
