Suspect Arrested After Police Standoff at CIA Headquarters

Officers escort a handcuffed man towards an ambulance outside the CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., on March 19, 2025. Reuters/Screenshot via The Epoch Times

A suspect is in custody after surrendering to police at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in McLean, Virginia on Wednesday.

The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) confirmed that the standoff ended Wednesday afternoon following police negotiations with the suspect.

“The barricade incident has been resolved,” police said in an update on X.  “The suspect surrendered to FCPD negotiators and is in custody.”

It was not immediately clear what prompted the incident. The suspect’s identity was not released.

Road closures were lifted after police issued a morning traffic alert shortly after 10 a.m. local time, advising drivers to stay away from the area due to the ongoing investigation.

“Dolley Madison Blvd is shut down in both directions between Georgetown Pk and Savile Ln in McLean for a barricade incident at @CIA HQ,” the police said in a morning statement. “Our Special Operations Division is on scene assisting. Please follow police direction.”

The Virginia Department of Transportation earlier also advised people to take alternate routes due to “police activity.”

Local media outlets initially reported that an armed man experiencing a mental health crisis sparked the police response. Aerial footage from local television stations also shows a major police presence outside the building, including SWAT vehicles and law enforcement from Arlington County and Fairfax County. It also appears that a perimeter was set up just blocks from the CIA headquarters.

Wednesday’s situation outside CIA headquarters unfolded the day after the Trump administration released new and unredacted intelligence agency files about the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

The CIA is an independent agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior U.S. policymakers.

NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister media, contacted the Fairfax Police Department for further details and a response was not immediately provided.

NTD also reached out to the FBI Washington Field office and was referred to local authorities. A spokesperson for the CIA confirmed the incident to local media and declined to release any details, saying that more information will be provided when appropriate.

This is a developing story and will be updated with additional details as they become available.

From NTD News