An armed man was seen making threats at the gate of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters in McLean, Virginia, leading to a large police presence, including the Fairfax County Police Bomb Squad.
A CIA spokesperson confirmed to Newsweek in an email statement Wednesday: “There is an ongoing incident that law enforcement is currently responding to outside CIA Headquarters. Additional details will be made available as appropriate.”
Around 3:30 p.m. ET, the Fairfax County Police posted an update on social media that “the barricade incident has been resolved. The suspect surrendered to FCPD negotiators and is in custody.”
Newsweek reached out to the Fairfax County Police Department for comment.
The Context
The CIA headquarters, commonly known as Langley, hosts thousands of employees and serves as the nerve center of the agency’s operations. It is heavily secured.
What To Know
On Wednesday morning, officials told Washington, D.C.’s WJLA that a man pulled out a handgun and pointed it at CIA headquarters. A livestream from the news station showed the authorities at the scene, including armored vehicles.
The Fairfax Police Department said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that it was dealing with a “barricade incident” at the CIA headquarters: “Our Special Operations Division is on scene assisting.”
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
SWAT team members are on the scene assisting alongside local police departments. Footage of the area showed heavily armed vehicles surrounding the entrance to the CIA headquarters.
Several nearby roads are closed, and traffic is being redirected in the area. Police said Dolley Madison Boulevard is shut down in both directions between Georgetown Park and Savile Lane in McLean.
It is not clear what has motivated the alleged threats.
A suspect has been arrested in relation to the situation.
Around 3:30 p.m. ET, the Fairfax County Police posted an update on social media that “the barricade incident has been resolved. The suspect surrendered to FCPD negotiators and is in custody.”
UPDATE: The barricade incident has been resolved. The suspect surrendered to FCPD negotiators and is in custody.
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 19, 2025
Update 3/19/25, 1:10 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 3/19/25, 2:45 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 3/19/25, 3:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
