Chaos broke out overnight as a U-Haul truck crashed into security barriers around Lafayette Square across the street from the White House, the Secret Service said.
In a late-night tweet, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi tweeted little details saying, “There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel and the cause and manner of the crash remain under investigation,” Guglielmi said at the time. In a follow-up tweet, he added, “The truck has been deemed safe by D.C. police and preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck” the barriers.
Meanwhile, a law enforcement source told CBS News that the man who is a U.S. citizen made threatening statements aimed at President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris after driving onto Lafayette Square. A bystander also told CBS Washington, D.C. affiliate WUSA-TV the U-Haul was trying to crash into the White House. Thankfully, there were no explosives in the vehicle and no weapons. However, the driver of the truck allegedly had a Nazi flag with him.
NEW: Investigators pulled what appears to be a Nazi flag out of the U-Haul, but they haven't provided any further details.
Here's what we know: https://t.co/cXt81Ji2NA pic.twitter.com/jBsb1uPJA3
— Troy Pope (@troycpope) May 23, 2023
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Cell phone video shot at the scene captured the truck crashing into the barriers. Law enforcement confirmed they recovered a red, white, and black Nazi flag from the vehicle. FOX 5 news reported that a backpack and a notebook were also removed. The nearby Hay Adams and Sofitel hotels had to be evacuated as the investigation went on. Roads nearby the site of the crash remain opened after 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
Although the name of the suspect wasn’t immediately identified by authorities, the source
said the man didn’t show up on any watch lists and didn’t appear to have any significant criminal record, according to checks done overnight by the FBI who is now involved in the investigation.
So far, U.S. Park Service police noted that the driver has been arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon; reckless operation of a motor vehicle, threat to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a president, vice president, or family member; destruction of federal property and trespassing.
This latest situation comes a year after a man identified as Maverick Vargo, 25, who threatened to kill House Jan. 6, 2021, committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), his family, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Mariani and President Biden. A letter was also sent and had what appeared to be a white powder and alluding to anthrax, prosecutors shared at the time.
Vargo, who is from Berwick, Pa., was eventually charged with threatening the president, sending interstate communications with a threat and influencing a federal official by threat, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania previously announced.
We will continue to keep you updated as this latest story develops.
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