US Capitol Police said Tuesday it arrested a man with a guillotine in the bed of his pickup truck near the Supreme Court.
Philan-Tam-Duy Le, 35, of Julian, California, was arrested for carrying a dangerous weapon, police said in a news release.
Shortly after 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Capitol Police spotted the pickup truck, “which was illegally parked” along the East Capitol Street, a small street that runs next to the Supreme Court and steps from the US Capitol building, according to the release. Capitol Police shared photos showing the massive guillotine.
Lawmakers were not at the Capitol when the man was arrested as Congress is in recess. But the arrest comes amid concerns around the rising threats of violence to members of Congress and the US government.
In 2025, Capitol Police responded to nearly 15,000 “concerning statements, behaviors, and communications directed against Members of Congress, their families, staff, and the Capitol Complex,” according to a January press release. This was a more than a 57% increase from 2024.
