White House Intruder Carrying Package Climbs Fence, Immediately Arrested

An intruder carrying a “suspicious package” climbed the White House fence on Sunday night, but was quickly arrested, the U.S. Secret Service said.

According to the Washington Post, the incident occurred about 10:25 p.m. on the south side of the White House complex, which faces the Washington Monument.

The newspaper quotes Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary as saying that the suspect, whose name and gender has not been released, was immediately apprehended by Secret Service officers.

CNN reported that the package he was carrying was “examined and later deemed to be harmless.” There is no word yet on why he jumped the fence.

White House security has come under increased scrutiny in recent months after a man managed to jump the perimeter fence before making it all the way through the North Portico doors of the White House. Just last week, it was reported that the White House was considering adding steel spikes to the fence to make it harder to climb.