On Tuesday, August 26, 2026, a 35-year-old man from Julian, California, Philan-Tam-Duy Le, was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police for possession of a dangerous weapon: an assembled guillotine. The device was discovered standing upright in the bed of his pickup truck, which was illegally parked along the 100 block of East Capitol Street, adjacent to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The guillotine, an iconic beheading machine featuring an angled blade, was originally developed during the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. It was historically used to execute condemned individuals from various social classes, notably during the Reign of Terror, and has since become a symbol of political violence and revolutionary terror.

Capitol Police have seized the guillotine and are investigating the reasons behind Le's possession of the device, as well as reviewing his background, according to a statement from the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP).

Sources