U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) said they arrested a California man on Tuesday for allegedly being in possession of a guillotine.
“The United States Capitol Police (USCP) seized a guillotine, which was spotted in the bed of a pickup truck along the 100 block of East Capitol Street. Just after 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25, USCP officers noticed the pickup truck, which was illegally parked,” USCP stated in a press release.
“The suspect 35-year-old Philan-Tam-Duy Le of Julian, CA, was arrested for Carrying a Dangerous Weapon for being in possession of the guillotine. The suspect drove here from California. USCP investigators are going through the suspect’s background to learn more about why he came to Washington, DC,” it continued.
This afternoon our officers seized a guillotine, which they spotted in the bed of a pickup truck along the 100 block of East Capitol Street.
You can learn more about the arrest here: https://t.co/JibVXWBj8j pic.twitter.com/orxccDAyZc
— The U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) August 25, 2026
Fox News shared further:
The guillotine discovery is the latest in a series of unusual weapons found in and around the Capitol complex, one of the most heavily secured areas in the country.
More than a week ago, officials found a homemade sword and brass knuckles at a Senate office building, Fox 5 DC reported. The items were reportedly discovered inside a man’s bag during a security screening.
ADVERTISEMENTLast year, a man was arrested after a machete and knives were discovered at a screening checkpoint in the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC), according to USCP. The 44-year-old man was arrested on multiple counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, officials said.
Watch below:
GUILLOTINE FOUND ON PICK-UP TRUCK PARKED OUTSIDE OF SCOTUS BUILDING: US Capitol Police are investigating after what appears to be a guillotine was found in the bed of a pick-up truck parked outside of the Supreme Court building in Washington DC 🚨
The suspicious pick-up truck… pic.twitter.com/HBYWDii1yh
— The DC MD VA Live (@TheDMVLive) August 25, 2026
The Associated Press noted:
A guillotine is an instrument for administering capital punishment by beheading and consists of a heavy blade mounted on a tall wooden frame. It was invented in late-18th Century France and became a symbol of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution.
