A routine Secret Service patrol near the White House took a disturbing turn on Thursday night when an officer approached a suspicious pickup truck and discovered that the man inside was armed.

A search of the stolen vehicle uncovered an AR-15 rifle, two handguns and ammunition. The suspect, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national, reportedly told authorities that voices in his head had instructed him to kill President Donald Trump.

The officer approached the vehicle after noticing suspicious activity and asked the man whether he was safe and whether he had any weapons.

He reportedly told officers that he had a gun because someone had tried to kill him with it and that he had taken it away from them. He also directed investigators towards a brown bag inside the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle led investigators to recover three firearms: a MAC-10 machine pistol, a Glock 43x pistol and an AR-15 rifle. Authorities also found dozens of rounds of ammunition, according to the criminal complaint and DHS.

The vehicle was subsequently determined to have been reported stolen in South Carolina.

DHS said Guanipa-Chrinos told officers that he had heard voices in his head instructing him to travel to Washington, DC, and kill President Trump. However, the alleged remarks about the voices do not appear in the criminal complaint affidavit.

US Secret Service Director Sean Curran described the incident as part of a heightened threat environment around the White House.

“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,” Curran said.

He added that Secret Service personnel were trained to respond to such situations but expressed concern over the increasing number of threat-related cases.

SUSPECT FACES MULTIPLE FIREARMS, THEFT CHARGES

Guanipa-Chrinos was taken into custody by the US Marshals Service and faces multiple charges, including unauthorised use of a vehicle, receiving stolen property, carrying a pistol without a licence and carrying a rifle without a licence, along with other firearms-related offences.

He appeared before the DC Superior Court on Friday and remains in custody without bond, according to online court records.

DHS said Guanipa-Chrinos is an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who entered the United States through Texas in March 2024. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged an immigration detainer against him.