Calif. Man Arrested Near U.S. Supreme Court with Guillotine in Pickup Truck

U.S. Capitol Police are investigating after a California man drove across the country and was arrested near the Supreme Court with a guillotine mounted in the bed of his pickup truck.

By Iris Kwok

Source Los Angeles Times

Aug. 26, 2026

2 min read

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U.S. Capitol Police arrested a Southern California man near the U.S. Supreme Court on suspicion of carrying a dangerous weapon after officers found a guillotine mounted in the bed of his pickup truck.
Authorities said 35-year-old Philan-Tam-Duy Le, of San Diego County, had driven from California and parked the truck illegally near the Supreme Court, Capitol and Library of Congress.
Investigators are trying to determine Le's motive, while family members described the guillotine as a likely political symbol and said he was generally dissatisfied with politicians from both major parties.

U.S. Capitol Police arrest man with a guillotine mounted in his pickup truck near the Supreme Court — A San Diego County man was taken into custody after U.S. Capitol Police officers discovered a guillotine in the bed of a truck parked near some of the nation's most prominent government buildings.

A Southern California man who had a guillotine in the back of his pickup truck was arrested Tuesday near the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, authorities said.

U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday said officers had arrested a 35-year-old San Diego County man on suspicion of carrying a dangerous weapon — the guillotine. Police said his name is Philan-Tam-Duy Le. The suspect's family says he goes by Philan Tam Le.

Kelvin Le told The Times on Tuesday night that he recognized the black truck in the photographs shared by police as his brother's vehicle.

Le's motivations were unclear. He is a resident of the small town of Julian in San Diego County, authorities said, and drove across the country from California.

Reached by phone Tuesday evening, Le's older brother said that the guillotine was probably intended as a "symbol of disapproval."

"I don't think he'd hurt anyone," said Kelvin Le, a production planner in Vista, who was surprised to learn of the arrest.

Philan Tam Le enjoyed going on road trips around the country. He grew up in Carlsbad, briefly worked as a cook in a Vietnamese restaurant in Las Vegas, and had been living in Julian for a number of years, his brother said.

A free spirit, his brother said he would fund his travels by working as a tattoo artist and making earrings and other piercings. "He built a lot of things with his hands," Kelvin Le said.

Philan Tam Le has been generally unhappy with the state of politics, his brother said. He isn't a fan of either major political party and dislikes both Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Trump, Kelvin Le said.

He said Philan Tam Le didn't like to say what specific government policies he is against.

Department investigators "are going through the suspect's background to learn more about why he came to Washington, D.C.," Capitol police said in a statement.

The pickup truck, officials said, was illegally parked along the 100 block of East Capitol Street, where the U.S. Supreme Court building is also located. The block is near the U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress.

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