U.S. Capitol Police arrested a California man on Tuesday after discovering a guillotine in the bed of his pickup truck parked illegally near the Supreme Court building.

Officers spotted the truck shortly after 3 p.m. on the 100 block of East Capitol Street. They seized the large wooden-frame execution device and took 35-year-old Philan-Tam-Duy Le of Julian, California, into custody on a charge of carrying a dangerous weapon.

Le had driven the truck from California to Washington, D.C. Police said investigators are examining his background to determine his motive for the trip. An Instagram account appearing to belong to Le reportedly showed a video of the guillotine outside FBI headquarters with a caption referencing "Guillotine adventures" and "Capital hill next."

The incident occurred while Congress is in recess. Capitol Police released photos of the truck and the upright guillotine mounted in its bed.

The arrest comes amid reports of rising threats against members of Congress. In a January report, Capitol Police noted that threats against lawmakers increased for the third straight year in 2025.

Le faces one count of carrying a dangerous weapon under District of Columbia law. No further charges have been announced.