United States Capitol Police arrested a California man on Tuesday after officers discovered a guillotine in the back of a pickup truck parked near the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court.
Philan-Tam-Duy Le, 35, of Julian, California, was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon in connection with the discovery. Authorities stated that the pickup truck was illegally parked when officers noticed the large guillotine positioned upright in the truck bed.
USCP investigators are examining Le's background to determine his motivation for traveling from California to Washington, D.C., and for bringing the guillotine with him.
The incident marks the latest in a series of unusual weapons found in and around the Capitol complex. In the past week, officials reportedly found a homemade sword and brass knuckles at a Senate office building, discovered inside a man's bag during a security screening. Last year, a man was arrested at the Capitol Visitor Center after a machete and knives were found at a security checkpoint. In 2021, a California man was arrested near the Democratic National Committee headquarters after an unmarked truck displaying white supremacist symbols was found to contain a bayonet and a machete.