Topline
A California man was arrested successful Washington, D.C. connected Tuesday aft constabulary recovered a guillotine connected the backmost of a motortruck parked adjacent the U.S. Capitol, successful an incident that comes amid concerns astir increasing threats to lawmakers and different high-profile Secret Service protectees.
Capitol Police arrested a 35-year aged California man successful relationship pinch the seized guillotine.
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Key Facts
In a statement, the U.S. Capitol Police said its officers “seized a guillotine” that was spotted connected the furniture of a pickup motortruck on the 100 artifact of East Capitol Street.
Shortly aft this, constabulary arrested Philan-Tam-Duy Le, a 35-year-old from Julian, California, “for carrying a vulnerable limb for being successful possession of the guillotine.”
A guillotine is simply a ample servants of the state that is utilized to behead group by dropping a large, dense leaf connected their cervix while they are restrained—a shape of execution that is astir associated pinch the French Revolution.
According to Capitol Police, the fishy drove the motortruck each the measurement from California, and they are examining his inheritance to find why he came to Washington, D.C.
The constabulary connection included photos showing some the motortruck and the very ample wooden-frame guillotine mounted connected the motortruck bed.
What Do We Know About Growing Threats to Lawmakers?
In a study published successful January, the U.S. Capitol Police reported that the number of threats against lawmakers roseate for the 3rd consecutive twelvemonth successful 2025. The agency said it opened 14,938 cases into “concerning statements, behaviors, and communications directed against Members of Congress, their families, staff, and the Capitol Complex” past year. This is simply a awesome summation from 9,474 specified cases successful 2024 and 8,008 successful 2023.
tangent
Aside from the Capitol Police, the Secret Service has besides warned that threats against protectees person been “off the charts” and the agency is operating nether a “heightened level of threat situation correct now.” Last month, Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the agency has initiated much than 10,000 investigations into threats against group the agency has been assigned to protect. This marked a 40% summation compared to the aforesaid play successful 2025 and the agency besides noted that intelligence health-related interventions are 10 times higher this year.
further reading
Secret Service Reports 40% Jump In Threat Cases This Year (Forbes)
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