Armed man arrested near White House allegedly told secret service he 'heard voices telling him to kill' Trump

A man who was arrested near the White House allegedly told the Secret Service he heard voices in his head instructing him to kill President Donald Trump.

The incident unfolded on Thursday evening (November 5) when officers approached a suspicious vehicle parked on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC.

When confronted by authorities, the suspect reportedly confessed that voices in his head had told him to travel to the capital and assassinate the president.

Officers soon discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen and the man admitted to having a stash of weapons inside - with a subsequent search of the car uncovering three different firearms, including an AR-15 style weapon, a Mac 10, and a Glock 43X, alongside dozens of rounds of ammunition.

The Department of Homeland Security has since identified the suspect as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela.

Officials revealed he originally entered the US through Texas in March 2024 and was arrested by Border Patrol before being released into the country.

Homeland Security reported that these were the weapons and ammunition retrieved from the suspect’s car - which included an AR-15 style weapon, a Mac 10, and a Glock 43X (Homeland Security)

Following his arrest, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued the following statement: "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.

"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. This is just an example of the incredible work done by the men and women of the Secret Service every single day as they put their lives on the line to protect our nation’s leaders. It’s an honor to work alongside Director Sean Curran and all of the patriots at the US Secret Service.”

Chrinos is now facing a number of charges, including carrying a rifle outside a home or business, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and receiving stolen property.

He is also charged with three counts of unlawful transportation of a firearm, three counts of unregistered firearms, and three counts of unregistered ammunition.

It isn't the first alleged attempt on President Donald Trump's life - during his presidential election campaign he came within millimeters of death at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer for the suspect, who is currently being held in custody by the US Marshals Service.

US Secret Service Director Sean Curran added: "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.

"This incident reflects the heightened threat environment in which we operate, as well as the continued number of armed individuals who are drawn to the White House complex. 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.

"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.”

Of course, it isn't the first time Trump has faced an alleged assassination attempt Trump back in July 2024, he survived a shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that caught his ear before another armed suspect was apprehended near his Florida golf course two months later.