Secret Service arrests armed Venezuelan migrant near White House over alleged Trump assassination threat

An illegal immigrant from Venezuela was arrested near the White House on Thursday after he was allegedly found inside a stolen vehicle carrying multiple firearms and reportedly threatening to kill President Donald Trump, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

U.S. Secret Service officers approached the suspect Thursday evening after spotting him "acting suspicious in his car while it was parked on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.," DHS told Fox News.

The suspect told officers that he heard voices in his head telling him to come to the nation's capital and , DHS said.

Officers then discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen, and the suspect admitted to having weapons inside.

During the investigation, officers said they recovered three firearms, including an AR-15-style rifle and two handguns, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition.

The suspect was identified as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, who illegally entered the country through Texas in March 2024 and was subsequently arrested by U.S. Border Patrol, according to officials. 

He was later released into the country under the Biden administration.

Following his arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer for Chrinos with the U.S. Marshals Service, where he is currently in custody.

The U.S. Secret Service said the incident reflects a growing threat posed by armed individuals "drawn to the White House complex."

"This is the latest example of Secret Service personnel relying on extensive training and experience to deescalate a volatile situation that posed an imminent threat to our protectees and other Americans," U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement.

"While our personnel are trained to respond to situations like this and we remain confident in our tactics, we are alarmed by the increase in threat cases that continue to arise," Curran continued. "The Secret Service will continue expanding our focus on proactively investigating and identifying individuals who make threats to our protectees, in order to disrupt threats before they arrive in Washington."

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.