Capitol Police Arrest California Man After Guillotine Found in Truck in Washington

Police investigate why the driver traveled from California to the nation’s capital

WASHINGTON — U.S. Capitol Police arrested a 35-year-old California man Tuesday after officers found a guillotine in the bed of his pickup truck parked near the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, authorities said.

Philan-Tam-Duy Le, of Julian, California, was taken into custody on suspicion of carrying a dangerous weapon and possessing the guillotine, according to a U.S. Capitol Police news release. Police said the truck was illegally parked on the 100 block of East Capitol Street.

Officers seized the guillotine from the truck bed after spotting the vehicle in the high-security area near Capitol Hill. The location is close to both the Capitol complex and the U.S. Supreme Court, two heavily protected federal institutions in Washington.

Capitol Police said Le had driven to Washington from California. Investigators were reviewing his background and attempting to determine why he had traveled to the city, the department said. Authorities did not publicly describe any alleged threat, intended target or motive connected to the weapon.

The arrest came while Congress was in recess, with lawmakers away from Washington and in their home districts. Even so, the Capitol area remains subject to extensive security measures because of its proximity to federal government buildings, courts and offices.

Social media post referenced FBI headquarters and Capitol Hill

An Instagram account appearing to be associated with Le posted a video Tuesday afternoon that showed a man with the guillotine outside FBI headquarters in Washington. In the video, the man said he was outside the FBI building eating cheese pizza. The post was captioned “Guillotine adventures” and included the phrase “Capital hill next.”

Capitol Police did not say whether the social media post was part of its investigation or whether it was connected to the arrest. The agency also did not confirm whether the account belonged to Le.

The department has authority to make arrests beyond the boundaries of the Capitol grounds, particularly in areas surrounding congressional buildings and other nearby federal sites. Police noted that such arrests are not automatically politically motivated, even when they occur near the Capitol.

Le was arrested on suspicion of weapon-related offenses, and Capitol Police said investigators were continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding his trip and the guillotine found in the pickup truck. No injuries were reported.