An illegal immigrant from Venezuela was arrested Thursday night blocks from the White House carrying three firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition after telling Secret Service officers that voices in his head told him to come to Washington and kill President Trump. The suspect, Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, entered the United States illegally through Texas in March 2024, was arrested by Border Patrol, and was then released into the country — a direct result of the border policies that this administration refuses to fix.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service officers spotted Chrinos acting suspiciously while parked on Constitution Avenue near the Ellipse at 11:42 p.m. A court affidavit obtained by NBC News says Chrinos was asleep in a blue Ford F-150 that had been reported stolen. When officers woke him, Chrinos used Google Translate to tell them he had weapons he wanted to turn over to the government. He also told officers that voices in his head were instructing him to come to the capital and assassinate Trump.
A search of the vehicle turned up an AR-15 style rifle, a Mac 10 handgun, a Glock 43X pistol, and dozens of rounds of ammunition. Chrinos was charged with carrying a rifle outside a home or business, three counts each of unlawful transportation of a firearm, carrying unregistered firearms, and carrying unregistered ammunition, plus one count each of possession of certain dangerous weapons, carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft, and receiving stolen property. He is currently in U.S. Marshals Service custody and is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday.
The critical detail that the establishment press would rather soft-pedal: DHS confirmed Chrinos entered the U.S. illegally in 2024, was arrested by Border Patrol, and was then released. CBS News used the euphemism "undocumented immigrant" to describe him. CNN buried the illegal entry fact several paragraphs deep and framed the story primarily around mental health, noting that the White House has seen a "significant uptick" in incidents involving people with mental health issues. The White House offered no comment, referring all questions to DHS and the Secret Service.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated plainly: "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." Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the arrest 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."
This is the second major threat against Trump's life in recent memory. In July 2024, a sniper opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one attendee and wounding Trump and two others. That a man who was caught at the border, processed, and released could later park a stolen truck loaded with weapons within sight of the White House is not an anomaly. It is the predictable outcome of a system that processes and releases rather than detains and deports.
The open question is how many others who were processed and released at the border are currently in the country with similar intent — and what it will take before the people responsible for letting them in are held to account.
