19-Year-Old Arrested After Ramming U-Haul into White House Security Barricades

On Monday, police arrested a 19-year-old Missouri man for intentionally ramming a U-Haul vehicle into security barricades at Lafayette Square, near the White House.

Authorities identified the suspect as Sai Varshith Kandula, a resident of Chesterfield, Missouri. He was apprehended at the scene and slapped with several charges, including trespassing, assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless driving, threatening to harm the President, Vice President, or their family members, and destruction of federal property, according to Fox News.

Authorities revealed the identity of the suspect on Tuesday.

The event happened just before 10:00 p.m. near 16th Street, and as police officers investigated, the area's roadways and walkways had to be closed.

Fortunately, no one got hurt in the incident. The Hay-Adams Hotel, located in the 800 block of 16th Street, was evacuated as a precaution.

The U-Haul truck crashed into the security barricades close to the White House, according to the Secret Service, and its Uniformed Division agents seized the driver. However, many specifics are yet unknown as of present reporting.

WATCH as a rented box truck crashes into a security barrier outside the White House

A Nazi flag was found inside the truck, and the driver was detained by secret service

There were no injuries, and the motive remains under investigation pic.twitter.com/uKnK4roFel
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) May 23, 2023

Suspect Has No Criminal Records

A cell phone video posted on social media showed the vehicle smashing through the barricades. Following the incident, The police discovered a Nazi flag, with the colors red, white, and black, a notebook, a bag, and duct tape inside the U-Haul.

According to Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service's Chief of Communications, preliminary evidence suggests that the driver deliberately aimed for the protective barricades at Lafayette Square, per CBS News. Authorities made no more comments on the potential cause.

A source said the FBI is investigating, and overnight checks showed the individual was not on any watch lists and had no significant criminal background.

After the incident, conspiracy theorists claimed that the US government staged a "false flag" operation to smear particular organizations. They compared the Ryder truck usage to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which conspiracy theorists also claim was a government-planned event, Daily Dot reported.