Carter Camacho, 18, of Smyrna, Georgia, was arrested at the Capitol Complex for carrying a rifle on Feb. 17, 2026. (US Capitol Police)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A Smyrna teenager pleaded guilty in federal court Monday after carrying a loaded shotgun onto U.S. Capitol grounds and possessing child pornography, federal prosecutors announced.
Eighteen-year-old Carter Camacho entered the plea in U.S. District Court following his arrest near the Capitol steps in February.
Smyrna teen Capitol arrest
What we know:
Officers arrested Camacho on Feb. 17 after he parked a white Mercedes SUV on Maryland Ave. SE and ran toward the U.S. Capitol carrying a firearm. Camacho wore a tactical vest and camouflage clothing as he reached the western steps of the building.
The rifled the U.S. Capitol Police say was carried by 18-year-old Carter Camacho, of Smyrna, Georgia at the Capitol Complex on Feb. 17, 2026. (US Capitol Police)
A uniformed U.S. Capitol Police officer ordered Camacho to halt after Camacho produced the gun. Officers recovered a Mossberg Model 88 12-gauge shotgun loaded with seven rounds in the tube and one in the chamber, with the safety off, alongside 17 additional rounds in a stock carrier. Camacho told officers he went to the building to speak with a Member of Congress.
Investigators later searched Camacho's phone, which was found inside his vehicle, and discovered he had purchased and possessed dozens of child sexual abuse images and over 100 videos. Camacho pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm on Capitol grounds and receipt of visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct.
Federal court prosecution details
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released details regarding which Member of Congress Camacho intended to meet.
Federal court timeline
What's next:
Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled Camacho's sentencing for Dec. 8.
The U.S. Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Office investigated the case, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan prosecuting.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and court documents made available through the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. This story is being reported out of Atlanta.