Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo / EFE
United States Capitol Police arrested a man at a security checkpoint in Washington DC on Friday, after he showed an “unauthorized” possession credential, and in a search made in his truck s he also found an unregistered pistol and more than 500 ammunition rounds, authorities said.
The arrested man was a contractor and the credential was not false, according to a federal official from the law who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the arrest, The New York Times reported.
The arrest comes as law enforcement officials attempt to strengthen Washington ahead of Inauguration Day on Wednesday, fearing that extremists, emboldened by the attack on Capitol Hill by the president’s supporters Trump on January 6, may cause violence.
A militarized “green zone” is being established in downtown, with tens of thousands of National Guard members and a metal fence has been erected around the Capitol grounds prior to the inauguration of the president-elect Joe Biden.