US Security Service says White House intruder was detained after 16 minutes

The US Secret Service (USSS) has released new details about the White House intruder, who jumped three fences to enter the presidential palace on 10 March.

The USSS said on Friday (17 March) that the 26-year-old Jonathan Tran was in the grounds for more than 16 minutes before he was captured. He now faces a maximum jail term of 10 years, the BBC reported.

In an official statement, the Secret Service said that although the investigation "is ongoing, at this time we have conducted in excess of 50 interviews regarding this incident and have reviewed radio transmissions and video footage to conclude the following events transpired".

It added that the intruder did not come inside the White House, where President Donald Trump was staying at that time.

However, Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the House of Representatives oversight committee, claimed the trespasser had managed to throw a door-handle at the South Portico entrance.

"That's why we spend billions of dollars on personnel and dogs and technologies and fences and undercover people and video surveillance. And yet the person is able to get up close to the White House and spend 17 minutes before he's apprehended. That's unbelievable," the Utah Republican said.

According to reports, Tran from Milpitas, California, had managed to climb a 5ft (1.5m) fence near the US Treasury Department before jumping an 8ft vehicle gate, and a shorter fence near the east wing of the White House grounds.

He also set off a number of alarms after jumping the railing, but was able to avoid other sensors.

He told federal agents that he was a friend of the president and had an appointment, court documents showed.

The man was found with two cans of mace, a US passport, a computer and one of Trump's books, authorities said.

President Trump has congratulated the Secret Service for doing a "fantastic job" in catching the intruder.

Meanwhile, Tran was released with no bail on 13 March and returned to California, where he must submit to GPS monitoring until his next hearing in Washington, the Reuters reported.

The incident is the latest in a series of intrusion, which has prompted the department to enhance the security system of the presidential house.

In 2015, a man named Joseph Caputo jumped over fence while then president Barack Obama was celebrating Thanksgiving Day. A row of sharp spikes on top of the black iron fence around the 18-acre (7-hectare) property was then installed in the same year to avoid any such issue in the future.