US Secret Service arrests man near White House after rifle, ammunition found in car

The Secret Service has arrested a man at the White House after they found a rifle and ammunition in his car parked nearby, a report said.

The Secret Service said that R.J. Capheim of Davenport, Iowa, approached a uniformed division officer at the 15th Street entrance, just north of the East wing and told him that someone in Iowa had told him to go to the White House, reported the CNN.

He also told the officer that his car was located at 16th and Constitution, less than a half-mile from the White House.

The uniformed division of the Secret Service then started to search his vehicle and found a 30/30 hunting rifle and ammunition.

The 41-year-old was arrested and charged with possessing an unregistered firearm. Additional charges may be pending.

The latest incident followed a series of security breaches at the White House recently that resulted in the resignation of the agency's Director, Julia Pierson, and a rejig of the agency's protocol.

Referring to another incident when a fence jumper entered the White House just two months ago, Joe Clancy, the interim director of the Secret Service, remarked on Wednesday that the Secret Service has been "severely damaged in recent years by failures.