The U.S. Capitol Police stopped and arrested a man on Wednesday who attempted to carry a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) in Washington, D.C., hours before President-elect Trump was expected to meet with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill.
The Capitol Police said in a social media post that the incident happened just after 2 p.m., when officers working at a security screening at the CVC’s north doors spotted a machete in the man’s bag.
The X-ray machine was stopped as the bag went through, then police arrested 44-year-old Mel J. Horne, of Washington, D.C., before securing the machete.
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Police added that three knives were also in the bag, along with the machete.
As a result, security screening on the north side of the CVC was stopped for about an hour to allow for an investigation into the matter.
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Police said Horne was arrested for multiple counts of carrying a dangerous weapon and will be interviewed by investigators to determine his motive.
At this time, police added, there is no ongoing threat to the Congress, the U.S. Capitol or the public.
Trump’s transition team confirmed to Fox News Digital this week that Trump would be meeting with Republicans in the Senate on Wednesday as he prepares his return to the Oval Office later this month.
The president-elect is being hosted for the huddle by the chairperson of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., her office said.
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