Man arrested for trying to bring a machete into the US Capitol Visitor Center

WASHINGTON — A man was arrested Wednesday for trying to bring a machete and knives into the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, police said.

U.S. Capitol police said officers spotted the machete in the man’s bag as it went through the X-ray machine, and found three knives in the bag.

The man, who was not immediately named by police, was arrested on charges of carrying a dangerous weapon, police said.

Police briefly halted security screening on the north side of the visitor center but it has since reopened.

The arrest came as members of the public were streaming into the Capitol to pay their respects to President Jimmy Carter, who is lying in state for a second day in the Capitol Rotunda.

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to arrive to the U.S. Capitol later Wednesday, his first time in the building since he left office in 2021, to honor Carter before Trump goes to meet with Senate Republicans.