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Guillotine Near Capitol
U.S. Capitol Police seized a guillotine spotted in the bed of a pickup truck parked along the 100 block of East Capitol Street near the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court building.
“Just after 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25, USCP officers noticed the pickup truck, which was illegally parked.”
Capitol Police said its officers “seized a guillotine” and arrested 35-year-old Philan-Tam-Duy Le of Julian, California, for carrying a dangerous weapon for being in possession of the guillotine.
Investigators said Le drove the truck from California to Washington, D.C., and they were examining his background to learn more about why he came to the District.
The arrest came after officers noticed the illegally parked pickup truck around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25, according to U.S. Capitol Police and local reporting.
The device was described as a guillotine, a large apparatus used for beheadings, with multiple outlets tying it to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.
Threat Environment Context
Forbes reported that in a January report the U.S. Capitol Police said the number of threats against lawmakers rose for the third consecutive year in 2025.
Forbes said the Capitol Police opened 14,938 cases into “concerning statements, behaviors, and communications directed against Members of Congress, their families, staff, and the Capitol Complex” last year.
Forbes also cited the Secret Service warning that threats against protectees have been “off the charts” and said the agency is operating under a “heightened level of threat environment right now.”
The same Forbes account said Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the agency initiated more than 10,000 investigations into threats against people the agency has been assigned to protect.
NBC News added that Capitol Police said Le was arrested on suspicion of “carrying a dangerous weapon” and being in possession of the guillotine, and that investigators were going through his background to learn more about why he came to Washington.
What Happens Next
Capitol Police said investigators were going through the suspect’s background to learn more about why he came to Washington, D.C., after the guillotine was seized from the truckbed.
“USCP investigators are going through the suspect’s background to learn more about why he came to Washington, DC.”
The U.S. Capitol Police statement said the suspect drove here from California, and that “USCP investigators are going through the suspect’s background to learn more about why he came to Washington, DC.”
NBC News reported that Le’s Instagram account appeared to include a Story featuring a video of a man with the guillotine outside FBI headquarters in Washington, with the caption “Guillotine adventures” and the line “Capital hill next.”
NBC News also said Congress is in recess, meaning lawmakers are in their home districts, not in Washington, while Capitol Police often make arrests beyond the Capitol grounds.
Across coverage, multiple outlets described Le as 35-year-old Philan-Tam-Duy Le of Julian, California, and said he faced a charge tied to carrying a dangerous weapon for possessing the guillotine.